Global Ganja Report

A 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.

The 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:

The Montana Cannabis Industry Association (MTCIA) says it has received information that the Justice Department has issued a memo with guidelines for the acceptable operation of dispensaries in California, and wants to know if similar guidelines were issued for their own state. Said MTCIA spokesman Ed Docter: "If the federal government wants to propose guidelines fine, we're all for that, we would really enjoy that, we would invite the help but basically we would just like to know what our US Attorney get. What did [Montana US Attorney Michael] Cotter get? I mean we don't know if he got a similar memo." The MTCIA says it will write to Gov. Brain Schweitzer seeking clarification on the guidelines, and what the Montana industry needs to do to prevent more raids. (KPAX, Missoula, Nov. 29)

The 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 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)

Workers 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.

Conservative 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)

With signatures due at county courthouses, it appears highly likely a proposed Montana referendum to overturn the restrictive new state medical marijuana law will qualify for the November 2012 election. To make the ballot, a referendum needs the signatures of 5% of the voters in 34 of the 100 state House districts, or at least 24,337 signatures. Secretary of State Linda McCulloch's office has reported tabulating 19,973 qualified signatures so far for Initiative Referendum 124, the proposed medical marijuana measure. It has qualified in 31 House districts. The proposed initiative seeks to repeal the new law that bans for-profit marijuana operations and makes it more difficult to qualify to be a registered user. (AP, Sept. 29; Billings Gazette, Sept. 28)