Pubdate: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO) Column: CannaBiz Copyright: 2013 Colorado Springs Independent Contact: http://www.csindy.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536 Author: Bryce Crawford MORE LAWSUITS, RULES AND PUSHES FOR LEGALIZATION. If the suit fits ... Last Monday, local retired criminal-defense attorney Dennis Sladek expanded his lawsuit against a provision in Amendment 64 that lets municipalities opt out of allowing recreational-marijuana stores. The governments of Woodland Park, Fountain, Palmer Lake, Green Mountain Falls, Monument and El Paso County were all newly named as defendants, joining the city of Colorado Springs, its City Council and Mayor Steve Bach. "Plaintiff Sladek has found a building in Colorado Springs, Colorado to use as his marijuana dispensary, and will locate buildings in the limits of the other Defendants for the same use," reads the complaint, essentially hinting at a far-reaching plan to open a store in each area. Whether or not that would have actually happened, Sladek has to show he has suffered injury from each and thus has standing to sue. "Defendants' actions have caused Plaintiff severe economic losses," reads a later point. In an email to the Indy, Sladek says he "couldn't see not naming additional Defendants." The Gazette reports that many of the named authorities pay the Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Agency to represent their legal interests. Better tell somebody It could be tight, depending upon when you read this, but you might still be able to offer comment in person on changes to the state's medical marijuana rules (tiny.cc/MMJrules) as proposed by the Medical Marijuana Differentiation Working Group. Formal public testimony will be accepted through 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, in the Supreme Court Chambers in the State Capitol Building. You can also email comments to or send them, care of the Marijuana Enforcement Division, to 455 Sherman St., #390, Denver, CO 80203. Keef crumbs Last week, the Fort Collins Coloradoan brought word that the college town's MMJ scene is springing back to life after a previously instituted ban was overturned by popular vote. Six centers have recently opened, with a total of 14 projected. And of course, as the paper notes, "medical-marijuana vendors getting in business now could be tapping a gold mine when recreational sales begin in Colorado next year." (A moratorium is in place in Fort Collins through March 2014.) One candidate for mayor of New York City shook things up last week when he came out in support of legalizing marijuana. "Why not regulate and tax it?" John Liu, currently the city's comptroller, asked newschannel NY1. "We can derive $400 million in revenues for the city, use that money to cut [City University of New York] tuition in half and reduce the disparate social impact that's occurring in too many of our communities." A release from the Marijuana Policy Project says Delaware Gov. Jack Markell will begin creating a medical-marijuana dispensary program that was signed into law in 2011, but suspended over federal concerns. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom