Toke of the Town

Hickenlooper Vetoes Dispensary Sampling Room Bill

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By on Cannabusiness, Dispensaries, Legislation

A bill that passed the Colorado General Assembly that would’ve allowed marijuana dispensaries to open their own tasting rooms was vetoed by Governor John Hickenlooper today, June 4. HB 1258 received plenty of attention as it made its way through the state legislature and wasn’t without its detractors, but it had enough support to pass its third House and Senate readings — 39-24 and 22-12, respectively.

“Since Colorado approved Amendment 64 in 2012, this Administration implemented a robust regulatory system to carry out the intent of this voter-initiated measure,” said Governor John Hickenlooper in the veto letter. “Amendment 64 is clear: marijuana consumption may not be conducted ‘openly’ or ‘publicly’ on ‘in a manner that endangers others.’ We find that HB 18-1258 directly conflicts with this constitutional requirement.”

Did the DEA Just Quietly Approve CBD?

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By on CBD, Feds 'N Heads, Hemp, Say what?

The industrial-hemp industry may have gotten a nod of approval from the Drug Enforcement Administration in late May, when the agency clarified that not all compounds of cannabis fall under the Controlled Substances Act. Referencing a 2004 decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that excluded non-psychoactive cannabinoids from the federal government’s definition of marijuana, the announcement came after the DEA says it had received numerous inquiries on the matter.

400-Plus Fake IDs Seized in Breck Pot Shops Since 2015, Most From Tourists

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By on Busted, Cannabusiness, Dispensaries

Plenty of underage tourists who come to Colorado seem to think a bogus identification card will work just as well at a pot shop as it will at a bar. But according to Haley Littleton, spokesperson for the Town of Breckenridge, which has catalogued at least 428 fake ID cases since February 2015 with no end in sight, they’re wrong.

“Our main theory is that people come into town and think, ‘This is great. I can take advantage of this,'” Littleton says. “But it’s not like at a bar, where you can go in, try to order and then give them an ID, and if they just glance at it quickly, you might get a drink or you might not. Marijuana dispensaries are really stringent on fake IDs — and so are we.”

What Are Colorado’s Congressional Reps Doing to Protect the Marijuana Industry?

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By on Cannabusiness, Feds 'N Heads, Legalize It, Legislation

Members of Congress joined legal cannabis-industry representatives in front of the United States Capitol today, May 23, calling for an end to federal pot prohibition. Among the lawmakers appearing in solidarity with the National Cannabis Industry Association were Colorado representatives Diana DeGette and Jared Polis.

“There are 34,000 Coloradans who are licensed to work in this industry, so you can imagine how dismayed everyone in Colorado was when Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he was going to rescind the Cole Memo,” DeGette told the gathering. “I can say, I have never seen our delegation work so quickly to fix something in a bipartisan way.”

Evolab in Canadian Marijuana Partnership That Could Go Global

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By on Cannabusiness, Feds 'N Heads, Products, Technology

Colorado marijuana extraction company Evolab has partnered with one of Canada’s heavily funded public pot companies, according to a joint announcement from Canadian marijuana firm The Green Organic Dutchman (TGOD) and Evolab. The licensing deal will take Denver-based Evolab’s production technology as well as its CBx Sciences brand into Canada after that country implements federal marijuana legalization, which could come as early as August.

Having a presence in Canada also gives Evolab a chance to jump across the Atlantic Ocean, according to Nicole Smith, CEO of Evolab and CBx Sciences. Canada, already a global exporter of the plant’s medical products, will be shipping out even more marijuana products after new businesses open in July, she says, with the potential for Canadian marijuana companies to distribute their products in up to fifteen countries that allow medical THC products — not including America, where medical marijuana is still federally prohibited.

Why Colorado Tokers Love Black Mamba

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By on Culture, Dispensaries, Growing, Medical

Kobe Bryant chucked a lot of junk at the hoop and had poor stats in clutch moments, but his delusional fans still try to inject his name into conversations about LeBron and MJ. (Feel free to email me your hot takes that argue otherwise.) Needless to say, I’m not a fan. So when I saw a strain named Black Mamba — the nickname of the all-time clunker — I abstained. But then a plump, purple cut on display at Verde Natural persuaded me to give it a try.

Like most egotistical turds without any friends to give him one, Kobe had to adopt his own nickname, one that he thought signified how his superior competitive ability would finish his opponents with the venom-like ferocity of an African snake. The Black Mamba strain, however, is anything but forced, with at least three different variants all deserving of the moniker. 

Research Initiative Wants 100,000 MMJ Patients for Project

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By on Legalize It, Medical, Say what?

To get around the guardrails surrounding marijuana research, Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University wants to create a network of 100,000 medical marijuana patients in order to collect definitive information about the plant. Founded “to advance scientific understanding of medical marijuana and its derivatives” by providing evidence-based resources for patients and caregivers, the new mmj.org initiative is working to build the world’s largest database of patients.

Scientists hoping to research marijuana in a clinical setting currently have one option for specimens: the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which sources its marijuana plants from a single contractor at the University of Mississippi. Not only have those plants been criticized for their inferior quality, but the list of authorized marijuana research projects stuck using them is extremely short, with each requiring approval from the Drug Enforcement and Food and Drug administrations.

Divorced and Transgender, Kai Alexander Fights Mental Pain With Cannabis

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By on Culture, Medical

Trail Blazers is a series of portraits by photographer Maria Levitov, spotlighting cannabis consumers from all walks of life.

Kai Alexander moved to Colorado from North Dakota a little over a decade ago, eventually taking part in two of the state’s most notorious resources: craft beer and cannabis. A transgender and recent divorcé, Alexander now works for one of Aurora’s most popular breweries, using cannabis to help treat his longstanding anxiety and depression.

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