Pubdate: Wed, 22 Oct 2014
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Copyright: 2014 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Column: CannaBiz
Author: Bryce Crawford

COLORADO WANTS TO BAN MOST MARIJUANA EDIBLES, RESTRICT CAREGIVERS AND MORE

State tightens up

On the heels of a USA Today/Suffolk University poll of Coloradans 
that showed 49 percent disagree with the way the state has handled 
marijuana regulations come two efforts to curb access.

News of the first development broke Monday, with the Associated Press 
reporting that the Colorado Department of Public Health and 
Environment had issued a recommendation to state marijuana regulators 
that all edibles be banned from store shelves except isolated 
products like lozenges and select liquids. The Denver Police 
Department recently issued a warning to parents regarding marijuana 
edibles that look like Halloween candy, and this follows similar 
reasoning about harm to children.

Following a heated meeting, the health department reversed course, 
however, with the governor's office saying it did not support a 
blanket ban and stakeholders worrying that a homemade black market 
would spring up. Efforts now turn to how to distinguish edibles from 
regular products.

Next comes word that Democratic state Sen. Irene Aguilar is set to 
co-sponsor a bill that would mandate medical-marijuana caregivers 
register with the state in an attempt to limit how many plants are 
grown (and, so goes the theory, diverted to the black market). The 
bill comes at the recommendation of a legislative committee."If a 
person fails to register after such 10 days, the state health agency 
and licensing authority shall prohibit the person from ever 
registering and acting as a primary caregiver," reads a draft of the bill.

In an emailed statement sent in response to questions from the 
Independent, Michael Elliott, the executive director of the Marijuana 
Industry Group, writes: "While we have seen caregivers provide 
critical help to patients in need, we have also seen black market 
operators abusing the caregiver program to illegally sell marijuana. 
The state legislature will have a difficult balancing act with this bill."

The bill would also mandate the state adopt new rules tightening MMJ 
access for reasons of "severe pain," in an attempt to drive any 
recreational users toward the higher taxes in the RMJ market. 
Currently, 93 percent of registered patients statewide say they're 
using marijuana for severe pain.

Keef crumbs

The city of Colorado Springs' 2014 budget projects that licensing 
fees collected by the city will increase from $360,000 last year to 
$400,000, which would mean more MMJ centers are opening.

Since those in the industry are forced to deal in large amounts of 
cash due to a lack of available banking, the state Department of 
Revenue has issued new guidelines for accepting payments, in addition 
to building bigger windows to accept the receptacles of money. 
"Buckets and boxes" of money will not be accepted, however, and the 
amount will be run through a counting machine twice while the cash 
presenter watches.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom