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.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom