Pubdate: Thu, 02 Jan 2014
Source: USA Today (US)
Copyright: 2014 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/625HdBMl
Website: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/index.htm
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466
Author: John Bacon

NEW LAW A SUREFIRE HIT FOR TOKERS

Handful of Counties Now Allow Pot Sales for Recreational Use

The new year got a little happier for pot smokers in Colorado on 
Wednesday as the nation's first retail outlets for recreational 
marijuana opened their doors.

"Marijuana does not have to be a burden to our communities," said 
Betty Aldworth, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry 
Association. "Today in Colorado we shift marijuana from the 
underground into a regulated market."

The first sale, orchestrated as a news media photo opportunity, was 
made to Sean Azzariti, an Iraq War veteran who has lobbied publicly 
for legalization and says pot helps mitigate problems stemming from 
his post-traumatic stress syndrome. Azzariti, who served six years in 
the Marine Corps and two tours in Iraq, spent about $60 at 3D 
Cannabis Center for an eighth of an ounce of "Bubba Kush" and a 
pot-laden truffle.

"Today I was fortunate enough to be the first recreational cannabis 
purchase in the world," Azzariti tweeted. "We did it!!"

Aldworth said pot sales in the state are expected to reach $400 
million this year. More than $40 million in tax revenue is targeted 
for public schools. Dozens of shops are opened or will open soon. She 
spoke of jobs, tax dollars and peace of mind for marijuana smokers.

But for many, the new law is all about fun.

"Honestly, I thought I'd never see the day," said Errin Reaume of 
Denver as she shared hits of marijuana at a 1920s-themed "Prohibition 
Is Over" party in downtown Denver.

There are, of course, limits. Sales are legal in only a handful of 
the state's 64 counties, along with Denver and less than a dozen 
other cities and towns. And Amendment 64, the state ballot issue that 
legalized pot, does not allow public pot smoking. Buyers - and users 
- - must be at least 21, and purchases are limited to an ounce at a 
time for state residents, a quarter of an ounce for out-of-state 
buyers. Many stores, concerned about supply, are limiting purchases even more.

Driving while smoking pot is illegal, as is driving under the 
influence of it. The limit: 5 nanograms or more of THC (delta 
9-tetrahydrocannabinol, marijuana's active ingredient) per milliliter of blood.

Washington state will begin allowing retail sale of recreational 
marijuana this spring. Other states are considering it. Pot activists 
hope the marijuana experiment will prove that legalization is a 
better alternative than the costly U.S.-led drug war. Skeptics worry 
that the industry will make the drug more widely available to teens.

Colorado set up an elaborate plant-tracking system to try to keep the 
drug away from the black market, and there are packaging, labeling 
and testing requirements, along with potency limits for edible pot.

There have been hiccups, however. Most recently, video aired by 
KUSATV showing preparations at one pot shop, Botana Care in 
Northglenn, showed employees licking wrapping papers as they made 
joints. It caught the attention of local viewers - and Aldworth.

"In a regulated market, that's simply not acceptable," Aldworth said. 
"The business that was filmed has already identified that it is in 
fact a problem. They've changed their practices and they are now 
sealing all of their joints exclusively with water."

Botana Care said workers never had to roll a joint for business 
before, so they were not clear on the rules. While there are no 
specific rules against licking joints, there are regulations saying 
adequate sanitation has to be maintained.

Aldworth said it's obvious that licking a joint is not sanitary, but 
she does not fault Botana Care, saying retailers are in uncharted territory.

Aldworth said legal marijuana industries are expected to generate 
$2.34 billion in revenues nationwide, tens of thousands of jobs and 
hundreds of millions in new tax revenue in 2014.

3D Cannabis boasts on its website of a 2,000-square-foot reception 
room with free refreshments and "garden viewing corridor" where 
customers can watch the product grow. The outlet says it is 
"currently growing 60-plus Grade A Strains in soil that are 100% organic."

Pot remains illegal under federal law, and the U.S. Justice 
Department is paying attention. The department has outlined an 
eight-point slate of priorities for pot regulation, requiring states 
to keep the drug away from minors, criminal cartels, federal property 
and other states in order to avoid a federal crackdown.

Denver International Airport placed signs on doors warning fliers 
they can't take the drug home in their suitcases.

"We understand that Colorado is under a microscope," said Jack 
Finlaw, lawyer to Gov. John Hickenlooper and overseer of a major task 
force to chart new pot laws.

A group of addiction counselors and physicians said they're seeing 
more marijuana addiction problems, especially in youths, and that 
wider pot availability will exacerbate the problem. "This is just 
throwing gas on the fire," said Ben Cort of the Colorado Center for 
Dependency, Addiction & Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Hospital.

Marijuana activists were hoping Colorado's grand experiment wouldn't 
be that noticeable after an initial rush of shopping.

"Adults have been buying marijuana around this country for years," 
said Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project. "The 
only difference is that in Colorado they will now buy it from 
legitimate businesses."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom