Colorado-Medical-Marijuana-Blog

The Department of Veteran affairs has officially approved use of medical marijuana for enhancing pain medication. This is in contrast to previous law that stated veterans could be denied prescription pain medication if they tested positive for illegal drugs. This law will only apply in cannabis legal states, of course. Many statistics show that medical marijuana usage is very popular among veterans and “baby boomers”. This new verbiage comes as a comfort to many veterans who prefer marijuana over pharmaceutical drugs. In contrast, and true to form, this law does not allow VA doctors to prescribe medical marijuana as it is still illegal under federal law. In essence, the new verbiage simply allows veterans to use medicinal marijuana in Colorado without fear of losing other VA benefits. Just one more small example of modern social acceptance of cannabis.

Monday, the federal DEA office announced Colorado’s DEA lead agent, Jeffery Sweetin, will be reassigned. This comes with much adulation from Colorado cannabis proponents as he was the voice and face of medical marijuana opposition in Colorado. Sweetin’s celebrity grew after the widely publicized Bartkowicz arrest. Although it was found that Bartkowicz was out of state law compliance, Sweetin made it a point to site the Federal government’s opposing stance on marijuana. Although he was not incorrect, he was widely viewed in the medical marijuana community as a zealot. In all realism, the next Colorado DEA agent will most likely carry the same views as they are sworn to uphold Federal law. Still, many insist Sweetin went out of his way to publically oppose Colorado state medical marijuana laws and thus created his own circumstance and exposure. As long as Federal law continues to directly oppose state law, this polarization will continue to exist.

True to form, the medical marijuana business has provided more challenges to lawmakers and business owners alike. The State has recently approved a two million dollar budget to hire temporary processors to eliminate the backlog of medical marijuana applicants. According to state officials, the backlog has grown to over 60,000 unprocessed applications. This is problematic in more ways than one. First, new Colorado cannabis laws require medical marijuana applications to be processed in thirty five days – woops. Also, this opens the door for more fraudulent activity as patients are using their State provided paperwork in lieu of a license. Finally, it has opened the door to forgery and fraudulent activity as the backlog has created a mess of paperwork that makes it easier for fraudulent paperwork to be unnoticed. The rules and boundaries have become clearer when it comes to medical marijuana in Colorado. Now it is a matter of controlling and enforcing rules and regulations.

Recently, the city of Denver reported and estimated 1.2 million dollars in sales tax revenue collected from Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries. It should be noted that this figure was derived between the months of December and April. Opponents of medical cannabis quickly claim that this represents a mere 1% of total city sales tax. So what? Over one million dollars in NEW revenue over a measly four month span is significant. This figure also neglects new licensing fees for dispensaries and caregivers. Seems the state is reaping monetary benefit from a legitimate industry. All controversy aside, it is becoming apparent that cannabis could very well become a flourishing enterprise producing jobs and significant revenue for employers and government alike. Inevitably, voters will soon have the final word as both legalization and prohibitive ballots are expected to be proposed for November elections.

So much anger, volatility and controversy directed towards a simple and innocent entity. Illegality is a function of society, not morality (though the two are often intertwined). Somehow, opponents of Cannabis in Colorado believe that public acceptance of the herb is a sign of the degradation of society that will lead to crime, lawlessness and uncontrollable drug addiction. Arguably, one of the most peaceful societies in existence used marijuana regularly: Native Americans. American Indians were known for their acceptance of natural drugs and used them for both ceremony and enlightenment. Ironic that their culture was over taken by overzealous puritans. This is not to say that Native Americans were bereft of conflict; intra tribal fights were common. However, this culture was more in tune with nature and their surrounding environment. Modern society seems perfectly willing to trade in intuitiveness for the latest smart phone. Modern society is completely addicted to the internet and technology at large. One could argue that technology is responsible for many crimes and deaths. For example, texting while driving is practically an epidemic. Social networking has taken place of communication. Perhaps the decadence of society is uglier than the legalization of a naturally perennial plant. Perhaps those on their soapbox waxing the dangers of marijuana should take into consideration the accepted dangers of modern society and technology. Perhaps we, as a society, should step back and listen to nature instead of cultivating propaganda.

Now that restrictive Bills are in place, advocates for Colorado cannabis are staging for the next repercussive move. Marijuana advocates are expected to specifically push for statewide legalization of the production, sale, and possession of marijuana. Representatives of NORML expect to have a Bill ready for public vote in place for the 2012 election. As many have foreseen, the language of the Bill should be expected to mirror alcohol laws and restriction. Since Amendment 20 passed, the battle for legalization of marijuana in Colorado ensued. To be frank, medicinal marijuana was always intended to open the door for pure legalization; it is just coming to the precipice. One thing is certain: the battle over cannabis has just begun and the upcoming battle will be intriguing to say the least.

Currently, much of the debate surrounding medicinal marijuana in Colorado pertains to the questionable motive of the industry; is it really about medical purposes or is it about pure legalization? Recent occurrences such as the 420 rally in Boulder and The Denver Cannabis Cup have created a larger rift among an already polarized public. Many skeptics view such rallies as an excuse for “non medical users” to take advantage of the current legal atmosphere and use it as an excuse to get high and blow smoke in the face of the public. According to many marijuana message boards and blog sites, this perception is shared among opponents and advocates alike; a sure sign that blatant celebration may not work in favor of legal cannabis in Colorado. Soon, card holders are planning an invite only bong-a-thon smoking completion. As entertaining as this may sound, it is certainly raising eyebrows around the industry. A gluttony competition seems a little flamboyant and certainly raises questions about the motives of the industry as a whole. Truth be told, legalization might very well be the best scenario for cannabis as it could help the economy, create jobs, create tax revenue, et cetera. Organizing gluttony events and arrogantly showcasing marijuana to the public could be counterproductive as legalization will require an accepting voting population.    

Over the weekend, the Oriental Theater hosted Colorado’s Caregiver Cup. Competition focused mainly on marijuana strains judged on aroma, flavor, and aesthetics. Although growing in popularity, the competition adhered to state laws and was only open to Colorado medical marijuana cardholders and caregivers. Additionally, there was no onsite distribution or ingestion. The “People's Choice Award”, the highest honor, was given to a strain named “Grape God”. As mentioned in early articles, fruity strains with high indica content tend to be most popular among patients as this strain delivered on both counts: heavy indica content with a strong grapefruit aroma. Cannabis Cup competitions were first introduced in Amsterdam where public consumption is accepted. Although Colorado’s version is still in its infancy, this is yet another example of growing acceptance and popularity among the public.

A poll released by Rasmussen Reports this week showed a 49% approval rate for the legalization of marijuana. This poll also showed a 39% disapproval rate with 13% undecided. Perhaps the public perception is not as sour as many media outlets suggest. Most interviewed participants who approve legalization believe it is a good source of revenue and could potentially create jobs and relieve some economic woes. Those opposed criticize the potential for higher crime rates and believe Amendment 20 was a lie. Although this poll showed potential for public support for cannabis legalization, 13% undecided could very well turn the tide towards prohibition. Cannabis in Colorado is proving to be one of the hottest and most controversial subjects in decades. Currently, there are no legalization bills in the works for Colorado, but this poll may give some momentum to legalization advocates.

Many medical marijuana advocates complain about the “Reefer Madness” paranoia influencing public perception. The 1936 film depicted youngsters who try marijuana and become victims to the madness; hallucination, rape, murder, et cetera. The film is, of course, complete paranoid propaganda and is commonly viewed as a parody among modern viewers. Over time, however, films have become more accepting of marijuana – even if they are exclusively comedies. The 1970’s series of “Cheech and Chong” films were borderline spoof films that depicted the main stars as space case pot heads who became involved in high jinx capers, usually involving the anti-marijuana brethren becoming high at some point and discovering the pleasantry of cannabis. Recently, there have been a slew of films that are more accepting of cannabis: “Dazed and Confused”, “Half Baked”, “Pineapple Express” and other similar films all present marijuana in a light and socially accepting fashion.  Most make light of the effect t of cannabis and make a not-so-subtle social commentary on the positive influences of modern day marijuana usage. One could credit the adoption of medicinal marijuana in Colorado to such movie media influence. It could be argues that depicting cannabis usage in light comedies have some culpability in public acceptance. If all media depicted medical cannabis in a negative light, it is doubtful medical marijuana would have ever been accepted in the first place.