Pubdate: Wed, 10 Dec 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

SEVERAL CONTENTIOUS BILLS COMING TO LEGISLATURE, DENVER ATTORNEY SUES STATE

Watch the bills

The Southern Colorado Cannabis Council (sococc.org) is gearing up for 
the coming legislative session, which begins in January. Among other 
efforts at the state Capitol, the group, formerly known as the 
Colorado Springs Medical Cannabis Council, says in a newsletter to expect:

The "Drug Endangered Child Bill," which the group says currently has 
no sponsor, and is still in the draft stage. "It is even tougher to 
say that people in our own industry are helping to draft this, but 
they are," writes executive director Jason Warf. "In a nutshell, this 
bill allows the tools for law enforcement and child services to make 
the determination that cannabis is a danger to your child.

"The biggest problem with this bill is that it leaves this up to them 
to determine. Given the history of law enforcement's attitude towards 
cannabis, we see this as possibly a huge problem for any patient, 
consumer, caregiver, or owner."

The "Caregiver Bill," sponsored by Sen. Irene Aguilar and Rep. 
Jonathan Singer (see ReLeaf, Oct. 17). It would mandate that 
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). It also seeks to make it harder to get an MMJ card 
solely to treat "severe pain," the most common reason cited.

"The attacks currently happening ... serve to whittle away at our 
medical industry," writes Warf. "We are working diligently with the 
sponsors, Rep Singer and Rep [sic] Aguilar to drastically change this bill."

SCCC is also planning to run pro-cannabis candidates for Colorado 
Springs City Council. We couldn't reach Warf by press time; look for 
more in future columns.

Sue you again, soon

Denver attorney Robert Corry - he of the No Over Taxation group, 
which opposed last November's statewide tax vote and has encountered 
a string of legal entanglements - is suing the state of Colorado 
again, this time in an attempt to revert to the pre-House Bill 1284 
days of 2010.

Naming Gov. John Hickenlooper, the Department of Revenue, Denver 
Mayor Michael Hancock and others, Corry's suit wants to roll back the 
clock. It seeks to stop the state "from implementation and 
enforcement of a reckless scheme of regulation, registration, 
licensing, and taxation, that requires self-incrimination through 
mandatory, unequivocal, and law enforcement-accessible admissions of 
involvement with a federally-illegal Schedule I narcotic: Marijuana."

It then cites a variety of older media stories where Colorado U.S. 
Attorney John Walsh is quoted saying the state's marijuana shops have 
no safe harbor from federal prosecution, despite any indication 
otherwise. Read the full complaint at tiny.cc/l2okqx.
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