Pubdate: Mon, 04 Aug 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: Trevor Hughes Page: 3A GREEN GOLD RUSH CREATES GRAY MARKET FOR POT The gold rush of legalized marijuana in Colorado and Washington is creating a confusing market of goods and services, from illegal Craigslist pot deliveries to a pot vending machine. While recreational-marijuana sales are legal in both states, the marketplaces are surrounded by a web of laws and regulations intended to keep buyers paying taxes and transactions aboveboard. But with tens of millions of dollars in profits up for grabs, entrepreneurs are flooding the market with products and services operating in a gray area. Some ventures are illegal, but the vendors escape prosecution by trying to stay low-key. Others grab headlines that are misleading at best. Craigslist is filled with advertisements for marijuana-delivery services in the Denver area. The ads insist they're offering a legal service: "Please do not flag! Amendment 20 and 64 compliant," referring to the state's medical and recreational-marijuana laws. But Colorado law requires marijuana sales to occur inside licensed stores. These services try to get around that requirement because the law also allows adults to give marijuana to other adults for free and without any "remuneration." The delivery services simply ask for a voluntary donation or a tip. Is it legal? Nope. "It doesn't matter how anybody characterizes it," Denver Police Cmdr. Mark Fleecs said. "They're trying to make a buck, and they can't do that. It's all illegal." A similar service in Washington state in mid-July stopped delivering recreational pot to buyers and switched solely to the less-regulated medical marijuana market in that state. The company, Winterlife, gained national attention for delivering recreational marijuana in the Seattle area even though police said it was illegal. In Colorado, a retailer installed a pot vending machine. It's inside a medical-marijuana store, so only state residents with a special state card can buy from it. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom