Pubdate: Wed, 03 Jul 2013
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Copyright: 2013 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Author: Bryce Crawford

STATE UNVEILS NEW MARIJUANA RULES, COUNCIL GETS COUNSELED AND MORE

The Golden Rules

On Monday, the Colorado Department of Revenue responded to Amendment
64 by releasing 60-plus pages of "emergency rules for the regulation
of the state's Retail Marijuana Industry by the Department's Marijuana
Enforcement Division."

One thing the department leaves out is any attempt to regulate the
placement of marijuana-themed publications, perhaps having been scared
away by multiple lawsuits. The rules, however, do touch on things
like: who can own a retail-marijuana business license; tracking
requirements for when the plant leaves the cultivation facility to
when it's sold; and mandated labeling and child-proofing for infused
products. (See tinyurl.com/64rules for more.)

"I am so pleased with the amount of collaboration between the
legislature, stakeholders, and constituents that has brought us to
this point," says Barbara Brohl, the department's executive director,
in the release. "This open exchange of information allowed DOR staff
and legal counsel the tools necessary to formulate emergency rules of
a much higher quality than is normally possible when state agencies
begin the formal rulemaking process."

And though the new guidelines were issued sans public input, due to
the need to make the mandated July 1 deadline, the DOR will accept
comment during a formal rule-making hearing the week of Aug. 19. At
that point, its representatives might hear things like this: "If it
were real legalization, we'd be REMOVING pages of marijuana law, not
adding dozens of new ones," as Coloradans 4 Cannabis Patient Rights
president Audrey Hatfield writes on Facebook.

Still no response to Amendment 64 from U.S. Attorney General Eric
Holder, either, which has prompted the New York Times to write in a
supportive June 28 editorial, "Mr. Holder's dithering helps no one."

City counseled

Last Thursday brought Colorado Springs City Council's roughly
five-hour town hall on recreational-marijuana stores. A slate of about
20 advocates for one side of the issue or the other were given seven
minutes each to speak at the beginning of the meeting, before the
general public was allowed to weigh in with three minutes each.

One man told the assembled, "I believe that, with all due respect, you
have the mandate to follow what the will of the people is," echoing
the sentiment of many Springs residents who voted for Amendment 64.
See tinyurl.com/coscouncilmj for more.

Musical munchies

At 1 p.m., July 4, 5 and 6, the White Boy Wasted Tour, featuring
artists Saint Dog and Big Hoss, is hitting Speak Easy Vape Lounge
(2508 E. Bijou St., speakeasylounge.info). "GET VIP PASSES AND SMOKE
WITH THE ARTISTS IN OUR GREEN ROOM," reads the Facebook event. Tickets
are $1 with a "like" of the venue's page.
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MAP posted-by: Matt