Pubdate: Wed, 12 Nov 2014
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Column: CannaBiz
Copyright: 2014 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Author: Bryce Crawford

PROMINENT LOCAL ACTIVIST RETIRES, AND GOVERNOR BUDGETS $30.5 MILLION 
MARIJUANA REFUND

Good night and good luck

Audrey Hatfield began her rise at the beginning of the medical 
marijuana boom in September 2010. Then as now, Hatfield battled 
epilepsy and other medical conditions, and found them alleviated by 
marijuana use. This led her to create Coloradans 4 Cannabis Patient 
Rights, with the modest ambition of creating a website and updating 
it a few times a week.

Since then, Hatfield has been at the center of many local 
developments, whether by opposing the limited language in Amendment 
64 or protesting outside District Attorney Dan May's office any time 
a cannabis patient was targeted for prosecution. Even better, she 
says her group has raised some $11,000 for local patients who 
ultimately found a place for sliding-scale cannabis and all kinds of 
ancillary support.

But the effort has taken its toll, and Hatfield announced in a 
Facebook post last week on C4CPR's popular page that she's ready to 
dial it all the way down.

"While cannabis has been a blessing to me with my conditions, I can 
not continue to go at the pace I have been these last almost 5 years 
with my health at risk," she wrote. "Not with these conditions. Now, 
more than ever, I need time for myself and the time to take care of 
myself. Therefore, we will be discontinuing all previous services 
except for our new Patient Oil Program thru SoCo MMJ."

The latter is similar to the plant program, in which approved 
applicants can receive discounted cannabis concentrates. Those 
interested can still call 299-0874 for more information. Meanwhile: 
"We have been very blessed and could not have been as successful as 
we have been without your support," Hatfield says. "Many thanks to you all!"

Money (so they say)

Thanks to TABOR, which mandates excess tax revenue be returned to the 
people under certain circumstances, Gov. John Hickenlooper's new 
budget for the coming year includes an interesting item. Wrote 
Hickenlooper in his Nov. 3 letter to the Legislature, "[W]e have 
earmarked a liability in FY 2014-15 of $30.5 million to reflect the 
current forecast from Proposition AA taxes."

In other words, the state has to return the excess funds created by 
greater-than-expected marijuana sales, unless it asks voters for 
permission to keep the money. Whatever happens, the governor plans to 
leave the next move up to lawmakers, reported Denver's KMGH-TV.

"It will be important to engage the Legislature when the session 
begins on the issue of marijuana rebates," the TV station quoted 
Hickenlooper as saying, "and at this time, it would be unwise for the 
state to plan to spend any of those funds in advance of that discussion."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom