Pubdate: Wed, 24 Oct 2012
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Copyright: 2012 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Authors: Celine Wright and Kirk Woundy
Note: headline is web only

60 MINUTES COMES TO COLORADO

Colorado's close-up, Part 1

On Sunday night, 60 Minutes reported on the medical marijuana 
industry in Colorado with a piece titled - you guessed it - "Rocky 
Mountain High."

The CBS report comes out two weeks before voters here and in Oregon 
and Washington state vote on whether to legalize marijuana use in 
general. And with reporter Steve Kroft marveling that there are 204 
medical marijuana dispensaries in the Denver area - three times the 
number of Starbucks and McDonalds combined - the segment highlights 
how mainstream the plant's presence has become in Colorado.

As part of their reporting, Kroft and company tour Dixie Elixirs, the 
leading manufacturer of marijuana-laced edibles. What would happen, 
the news anchor asks, if he downed a bottle of Dixie's sparkling red 
currant-flavored drink?

"You would have a very long, but mellow afternoon," says Tripp Keber, 
Dixie CEO, doing his part in the 13-minute segment.

The news crew moves from highlighting the more upscale aspects of 
medical marijuana "boutique" culture to pointing out that, yes, the 
Federal Controlled Substances Act insists marijuana is "every bit as 
dangerous as heroin, with no medical benefit."

Perhaps the most useful part of the piece: U.S. Deputy Attorney 
General James Cole goes on record as saying that "we're not 
interested in bothering people that are sick and are using it at the 
recommendation of a doctor." Ultimately, he says, "we are concerned 
with people who are using it as a pretext to become large-scale drug 
dealers." The report doesn't mention the federal crackdowns on 
dispensaries deemed too close to school buildings.

You can find the full story, and a 60 Minutes Overtime segment 
focused on edibles, at cbsnews.com.

Colorado's close-up, Part 2

Continuing on the subject of the "green rush," Newsweek published a 
cover story Monday titled the "New Pot Barons," where Denver is cast 
as the new California: a place for smart businesspeople to invest and 
hope they strike gold.

"This is our Facebook," says Norton Arbelaez, owner of multiple 
dispensaries and a founding member of the Medical Marijuana Industry 
Group, in the article.

The magazine's eyes are for the capital city only; as is true of the 
60 Minutes piece, Colorado Springs earns nary a mention.

Smoke screen

All it takes is a $10 "love donation" to get yourself into a "film 
exhibition that changes everything." On Friday night, Marmalade at 
Smokebrush (219 W. Colorado Ave., #210, smokebrush.org) presents 
Cannabis Kills Cancer, where from 5:30 to 10 p.m. a variety of movies 
and speakers will cover that very notion. Among the latter is Dr. Bob 
Melamede, of Cannabis Science and University of Colorado at Colorado 
Springs fame.
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