Pubdate: Wed, 19 Mar 2014
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Copyright: 2014 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Author: Bryce Crawford
Column: CannaBiz

PALMER LAKE TALKS POT, CU SAYS NO TO RESEARCH AND MORE

Remaking Palmer Lake

Last year, Palmer Lake citizens pulled together a petition that
repealed an initial ordinance opting out of recreational marijuana
stores, and instead scheduled a vote on the issue for April 1, 2014.
However, the ballot question is not binding for town council, leaving
open the possibility that councilors could decide to continue to opt
out of recreational stores.

Town attorney Larry Gaddis thinks it a fairly far-fetched scenario,
though.

"Well, they could, but then I would expect what happened last time to
happen, which is that we would get a petition for a referendum and
then have to have another vote," he says. "So, anything's possible,
but do I expect that? I don't expect that. I expect that the new board
will probably honor whatever the wishes of the population [are]."

His reference to a "new board," or council, highlights another
interesting fact about the April election.

"And what it's done is, also there are a number of people running for
the town board, which very seldom happens in Palmer Lake," Gaddis
says. "In fact, everybody on the town board who's serving now has been
appointed because of vacancies. So, one of the side benefits is that
instead of just having just enough people who are willing to run,
there's gonna be contests."

Boulder being blocked

In a March 17 memo to its staff - authored by college president Bruce
Benson and in-house counsel Patrick O'Rourke, and first reported by
Denver's CBS4 - the University of Colorado recognized that it had
received multiple requests from faculty to study marijuana issues,
and that the current system severely limits those opportunities.
However: "No University of Colorado faculty member has authority to
conduct marijuana-related research, that has not been approved
through the appropriate federal, state, and University of Colorado
processes applicable to research upon controlled substances."

Keef crumbs

During a press conference with the National Cannabis Industry
Association, a lobbying organization, Colorado Rep. Jared Polis
offered this on the number of cannabis users in Congress: "I don't
think more than, uh, five or 10, I would guess, but I really wouldn't
know 'cause I haven't seen them use it."

Last week, the Colorado Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that, in
some situations, the protections listed in Amendment 64 could be
applied retroactively.

"Because defendant's convictions were pending appeal when Amendment 64
became effective on December 10, 2012, her convictions for possession
of marijuana concentrate and less than one ounce of marijuana must be
reversed and vacated," wrote Judge Gale Miller.
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