Marijuana
10 Sweet Leaf marijuana dispensary employees formally charged in ‘looping’ scheme
DENVER – Ten employees arrested earlier this month in a sweep of Sweet Leaf marijuana dispensaries in Denver and Aurora have been formally charged with varying degrees of marijuana distribution.
Five of those charged face felony charges of marijuana distribution of more than four ounces, while the other five face misdemeanor charges for distribution of more than one ounce. Continue reading
Marijuana use among Colorado teens declines again, government report shows
DENVER – Colorado adolescents are using marijuana at the lowest rate in a decade, and the rates at which the same group of children are using it continues to decline since recreational marijuana went on sale here in 2014, according to new data published by the federal government.
The new data comes from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health yearly report, which is performed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
According to the report, the rate by which children aged 12-17 have used marijuana in the past month fell from 11.13 percent in 2014-15 to 9.08 percent in 2015-16. Continue reading
Jeff Sessions scoffs at intern who questioned his marijuana stance, video shows
DENVER – U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions argued with Justice Department interns this summer over the safety and efficacy of marijuana use, according to new videos obtained by ABC News.
In the videos, which were shot during a lecture series for Justice Department summer interns that took place in June, Sessions chastised a woman who questioned his opposition to legal marijuana programs. Continue reading
Sessions: Marijuana use is ‘detrimental,’ Justice Dept. still reviewing enforcement policies
DENVER – There are ongoing discussions within the Justice Department about making changes to marijuana enforcement at the federal level, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Wednesday.
At a press conference announcing new efforts to fight the opioid abuse crisis across the country, Sessions said he still has large concerns about the legitimacy of legal marijuana programs, and that his Justice Department met Tuesday to review possible changes. Continue reading
Coloradans increasingly displeased with President Trump, poll finds
DENVER – Colorado voters are increasingly displeased with President Donald Trump and are looking ahead to 2018’s political races with high interest, according to a new poll released this week.
The poll from Keating Research, based in Telluride, shows two-thirds of state voters have an unfavorable opinion of the president, and three in five think he is “dishonest and tells lies.” Continue reading
Hearing officer denies appeal by Denver 4/20 rally organizer, opening door for new permit holders
DENVER – If you want to be the organizer for Denver’s famed 4/20 rally, now is your chance.
Denver’s hearing officer on Friday denied an appeal made by the previous organizer to have his three-year suspension from getting a permit and fines overturned. Continue reading
Report from Colorado doctors finds possibility of first death attributed to marijuana
DENVER – An 11-month-old child who died after being exposed to marijuana is believed to be the first person whose death has been attributed to marijuana exposure, according to two Colorado doctors who published a report on the death in August.
The report by Thomas M. Nappe, DO, who works at the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center in Denver, and Christopher O. Hoyte, MD, with the Department of Emergency Medicine at the CU Anschutz Medical Center, was published in the August edition of the journal “Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine.” Continue reading
Denver judge upholds ruling that directive banning drug users from parks is unconstitutional
DENVER – A Denver District Court judge on Wednesday upheld a county court ruling that found a directive issued last September, which allowed officers to cite and temporarily ban drug users caught using in city parks or on the Cherry Creek trail, was unconstitutional.
But the city says a new directive is in the works. Continue reading
Opioid-related deaths fell 6.5% after recreational marijuana legalized in Colorado, research finds
DENVER – Opioid-related deaths fell by more than 6 percent in Colorado in the two years after the state started selling recreational marijuana, according to new research published in November’s edition of the American Journal of Public Health.
The researchers who conducted the study found the 6.5-percent reduction represented “a reversal of” a 14-year increasing trend in opioid-related deaths in Colorado since 2000. Continue reading
Hickenlooper, GOP leadership continue fiery battle over pot tax mistake on eve of special session
DENVER – On the eve of next week’s special session to address a marijuana tax mistake made in this year’s legislative session, Gov. John Hickenlooper blasted state Republicans for playing political games with taxpayer money and said the bipartisan gains made in the Legislature this year had been lost in the “political circus” surrounding the session.
But the same Republicans who he took to task returned the favor, saying Hickenlooper is disregarding state law about raising taxpayer revenues. Continue reading