Colorado

Small-town haven for medical marijuana in northern Colorado

Posted on February 26th, 2012 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

medical marijuanaWith medical marijuana dispensaries banned by local ordinance in Loveland, Fort Collins and Longmont, Herbs Medicinals in the small town of Berthoud, Larimer county, is one of the few remaining in northern Colorado. There are two dispensaries in unincorporated parts of Larimer county and two in Garden City, just south of Greeley in neighboring Weld county. Kevin and Michele Ballinger run Herbs Medicinals so it fits in, even putting up a Nativity scene during the holidays. "We heard from a lot of churches who were very happy with our display," Michele Ballinger, a Berthoud native, told the Denver Post. "We want to be respectful and just part of the town. Because the town had been very good to us."

Feds issue ultimatum to Colorado dispensaries

Posted on January 13th, 2012 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

cannabisColorado US Attorney John Walsh on Jan. 12 issued an ultimatum in letters to 23 dispensaries and landlords he claimed are in violation of federal and state law. The dispensaries, which he said are located within 1,000 feet of schools, were given 45 days to cease operations or face civil and criminal penalties. "When the voters of Colorado passed the limited medical marijuana amendment in 2000, they could not have anticipated that their vote would be used to justify large marijuana stores located within blocks of our schools," Walsh said in a statement announcing the letters. 

States that legalized medical marijuana saw fewer traffic deaths: study

Posted on December 31st, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , .

medical marijuanaA new study postulates a link between states with legalized medical marijuana and a reduction in traffic-related fatalities. The study was conducted by D. Mark Anderson, a Montana State University economics professor, and Daniel Rees, of the University of Colorado Denver. In looking at state-level data from sources such as the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Anderson and Rees found that states with medical marijuana laws saw an average 9% decrease in traffic deaths. "We were pretty surprised that they went down," Rees told the Denver Post.

Colorado to ask feds to reschedule cannabis

Posted on December 28th, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , .

medical marijuanaThe Colorado Independent reported Dec. 8 that Colorado is joining Rhode Island and Washington state in petitioning the federal government to "change the schedule of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act." Colorado is required by state law to file its own such request before the end of the year. The Centennial State legalized medical marijuana in 2000 through voter approval of Amendment 20, which was itself later amended by three enabling laws. One such law passed last year, HB 10-1284, requires:

Colorado cannabis boom sparks fear of "green rush"

Posted on November 25th, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , .

medical marijuanaThe 2011 Hempcon medical marijuana convention in Denver in October prompted local fears of a "green rush" in the Centennial State. Sixteen states now allow some form of legalized medical marijuana, but only Colorado explicitly allows cannabis businesses to operate as such—making it the first for-profit marijuana marketplace in the United States. Between 2000—when voters approved the state's medical marijuana initiative—and 2008, Colorado issued roughly 2,000 medical marijuana cards to patients living in the state. By 2011, that number had jumped to more than 127,000 paying customers, according to the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry—with at least 25,000 more have applications pending.

Fort Collins votes down medical cannabis —as state moves to regularize it

Posted on November 3rd, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

medical marijuanaFort Collins became the largest city in Colorado to ban medical marijuana Nov. 1, as Question 300, a measure to prevent dispensaries and grow facilities from operating within city limits, passed by a margin of 53%. The ban will force 21 licensed medical marijuana businesses in Fort Collins to close within 90 days. But opponents of the ban said they are not giving up the fight, and may try to bring the issue back to voters in 2012. (Fox31, Denver, Loveland Connection, Nov. 2)

Fort Collins cannabis workers vote to unionize

Posted on October 24th, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , .

medical marijuanaWorkers at seven Fort Collins cannabis dispensaries officially affiliated Oct. 17 with Colorado's largest labor union in an effort to further legitimize and protect the medical marijuana industry. Union organizers said an "overwhelmingly" large majority of the Fort Collins workers voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), making Colorado the second state in the US, after California, where some cannabis industry workers have formally unionized.

Fort Collins to vote on dispensaries

Posted on October 24th, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

cannabisConservative community groups have launched a ballot initiative to ban cannabis dispensaries in Fort Collins—the only Northern Colorado city that allows dispensaries to operate, under state and local restrictions. Supporters of Question 300, which will be on the ballot Nov. 1, say the dispensaries have made cannabis too available and are increasing crime. A coalition of dispensary owners and patients says dispensaries are the only safe, regulated way for people with legitimate needs to obtain medical cannabis. They argue that closing dispensaries would push more growing operations into residential areas, take tax revenue away from the city, and put about 200 locals out of work. (Loveland Reporter-Herald, Oct. 8)

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