Colorado Medical Marijuana Blog

Although Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries have become a thriving, successful, and legitimate business, there are still obstacles to overcome. Attitudes among the public have been fickle at best. Most recently, Wells Fargo has decided to suspend new accounts for Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries, leaving the booming industry with almost no options in the way of finance and banking. Unfortunately, Colorado medicinal marijuana seems to be losing ground with the public, lawmakers, and now the finance industry. In spite of the obvious legitimacy of the infantile industry, Colorado marijuana is constantly presented resistance and skepticism. In addition, more regulations are on the way as the State Senate just passed a bill barring doctors from writing recommendations and prescriptions inside dispensaries.  This bill will also add more requirements to acquire a medical marijuana card. Objectively, one cannot deny the obvious lucrative and medical potential of Colorado medicinal marijuana. Compromise will have to prevail so the industry can flourish.

As the debate over the legitimacy of medicinal marijuana in Colorado rages on, it really comes down to one simple notion: attitude. One side of the argument contends that Colorado marijuana should remain illegal because their attitude about the product remains negative; it is a dangerous narcotic, it has been illegal for a reason, etc. Others have seen the positives in Colorado medicinal marijuana; it is an excellent pain reliever, it can be a great source of revenue. In the end, it will come down to what attitude wins out. One Colorado marijuana dispensary laboratory has felt the wrath of the opposing view as they were raided by DEA agents this week and forced to hand over records and thousands of dollars in product. The agency, so far, has given no comment only stating that the investigation is ongoing. Another medicinal marijuana dispensary in L.A. was ordered to close its doors by a county superior judge. Unfortunately, the vague nature of current law helps enable both sides of the battle. Episodes such as these, however, simply perpetuate negative attitudes among the public, especially among “swing voters”. Slowly, medicinal marijuana in Colorado is gaining progress in the public eye; dispensaries are still flourishing and little backlash in the form of public protest has been reported. Hopefully, as Colorado medicinal marijuana laws solidify and attitudes change, medical marijuana in Colorado will be allowed to flourish as originally intended.

The first Western Slope Cannabis Crown will be held in Aspen this April celebrating the legitimacy of medicinal marijuana in Colorado. Over fifty growers are expected to enter strains of Colorado marijuana into the contest. Samples will be judged on THC levels as well as aesthetic properties such as flavor. Alternate forms of medical marijuana, such as edibles, will be entered as well. Samples will only be provided to Colorado medicinal marijuana card holders, of course. Cannabis fairs such as this are not an excuse to abuse the law, according to city officials and fair organizers. Instead, it is simply a way of sharing product, giving patients new options, and perhaps opening the minds of skeptics to the benefits of Colorado medical marijuana. A similar cannabis convention was recently proposed and denied in the town of Nederland. Nevertheless, this could be another example of Colorado medical marijuana slowly becoming accepted by the public.

When it comes to controversial issues, there will always be massive variance in point of view; Colorado medicinal marijuana is a prime example. In the capital city of Denver, restrictive laws are debated on a daily basis. Most recently, a restriction has been suggested to limit the size of the store front sign of a Colorado medicinal marijuana dispensary. In a totally opposing mindset, the township of Nederland is preparing to vote on a Cannabis Festival and a law legalizing the use of marijuana. As of now, Colorado medical marijuana laws give each city or town the right to restrict locally. For example, Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries are banned in Greeley and Broomfield. Meanwhile, Nederland is preparing for a possible festival to celebrate Colorado marijuana. Until state laws become more clearly defined and restrictive, massive variance between cities will exist.

As the controversy rages on about the legitimacy of Colorado medicinal marijuana, there is a significant demographic supporting the product; the patient. Opponents to Denver medical marijuana and Colorado marijuana dispensaries claim that the medical benefits are a sham used as a smoke screen to simply legalize a narcotic. A true patient would disagree. In an interview with a serious patient, some genuine medical benefits were unveiled. This patient, a male in his mid 40’s, was involved in a traffic accident; both his legs were mangled in the wreck. To him, Denver medical marijuana has provided him with an alternate pain killer. He also explained that the euphoric properties help with bouts of depression revolving around the pain and make his life experience more enjoyable in general. He complained that other prescribed pain killers were more addictive, less effective, and more expensive. To him, and thousands of similar patients, Colorado medicinal marijuana doctors have helped them find a new avenue for pain relief never before available. After listening to his story, one cannot help but realize the potential legitimacy of medicinal marijuana in Colorado.