Aurora police chief Dan Oates defends a sting operation that led to the arrest of a doctor accused of writing medical marijuana recommendations without examinations. But Sensible Colorado’s Brian Vicente, who’s criticized law enforcement’s approach to medical marijuana in the past, questions the department’s actions, which he sees in the…
One of the main people to thank — or curse — for Colorado’s new medical marijuana regulations is Matt Cook, senior director of enforcement at the Department of Revenue. Cook, who worked closely with legislators developing the rules, is now in charge of enforcing them and will be helming the…
Last week, the Aurora Police Department busted Dr. Manuel Aquino-Villaman for allegedly writing medical marijuana recommendations to two undercover police officers without examining them. Among other things, he’s been charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Should this sting operation be viewed in the context of Aurora’s reputation as an anti-MMJ-biz…
In early June, several Colorado Springs locals filed paperwork to put a medical-marijuana-business ban on the November ballot. Since then, I’ve tried to reach petition signatories or anyone else representing the group. And today, I finally succeeded. Unfortunately, though, they’ve refused to talk to Westword, in part because they disapprove…
A new study from Rand’s Drug Policy Research Center suggests that marijuana costs could be slashed as much as 80 percent, and pot use could increase by as much as 50 percent, if Californians pass the legalization measure on their November ballot. Such momentous changes could drastically shake up the…
Fresh from the jar: A Mile Highs and Lows dispensary review of Fort Collins’ Elite Green Organics by the Wildflower Seed. And there’s more where that came from. Check out our newly updated dispensary directory by clicking here…
This dispensary has closed. In “Mile Highs and Lows,” Westword offers a no-holds-barred look at what goes on behind the locked doors of marijuana clinics (see our dispensary list here), whether they resemble swanky bars, sterile dentist’s offices or a dope dealer’s college dorm room. This week, the Wildflower Seed…
The Denver City Council amendment that essentially zoned Altitude Organic Medicine out of existence was fast-tracked due to what most observers interpret as a state moratorium on approving new medical marijuana businesses until July 2011. But Boulder assistant city attorney Kathy Haddock believes the legal language allegedly establishing this moratorium…
At 11 a.m. this morning, vets, lawyers and activists hope to present a petition to Ned Calonge, Colorado’s chief medical officer, asking that post-traumatic stress disorder be added to a list of conditions that can be treated by medical marijuana. The battle over PTSD and medical marijuana has been going…
Yesterday, Denver City Council member Carla Madison explained the rationale behind an amendment that forced Altitude Organic Medicine, a successful Highlands dispensary, out of business. AOM’s Brian Cook has responded with a virtual manifesto about the situation. Read it below:…
Last Friday, Altitude Organic Medicine’s Highlands location held a combination goodbye party and going-out-of-business sale after being forced to close due to a controversial amendment that essentially zoned AOM out of existence. Owner Brian Cook promises a lawsuit — but city councilwoman Carla Madison defends the measure that shut him…
Lionel Rivera, the Republican mayor of Colorado Springs, says his city has a chance to resurrect itself from pummeling budget cuts brought on by the recession and the state’s tax law that limits the city’s ability to fund its coffers. The medical marijuana industry boon, among other things, is providing…
In June, we told you about a Denver City Council amendment aimed at shutting down Altitude Organic Medicine, a Highlands dispensary, over a zoning technicality. When the amendment passed, owner Brian Cook pledged to sue the city — and that’s still his plan. But he’s also shutting down AOM today,…
Good catch by the Denver Post: The paper discovered that the owners of RiNo Supply Co., a local medical marijuana dispensary, are trying to sell the business on eBay. At this writing, there’s a little over four hours left in the auction. The listing asks for a modest starting bid…
We have a new Mile Highs and Lows dispensary review online — William Breathes’ critique of Caregivers for Life. And the selection doesn’t stop there. To access our newly updated dispensary directory, click here…
In “Mile Highs and Lows,” Westword offers a no-holds-barred look at what goes on behind the locked doors of marijuana dispensaries, whether they resemble swanky bars, sterile dentist’s offices or a dope dealer’s college dorm room. This week, William Breathes reviews Caregivers for Life…
And the clock starts. I applied for renewal of my Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry card this week, and judging by what other patients have to say, it’ll be another eight months before I have a valid card again…
Last November, deputy attorney general David Ogden wrote a memo advising U.S. Attorneys in states where medical marijuana has been legalized to give a pass to MMJ businesses following local laws. But now, an e-mail trolling for info about dispensary-related crime suggests that some members of the Obama administration are…
Can you have your pot cake and sell it, too? That’s the dilemma facing edible makers and manufacturers of other marijuana-infused goods, since according to new state law they have to apply for an “infused product manufacturer” license by July 1 in order to continue operating — but in most…
HB 1284, the bill to regulate the medical marijuana industry, may have been signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter earlier this month, but plenty of questions about its implementation remain. Among them: If you haven’t applied for a license by July 1, will you have to wait until July…
Jeffrey Sweetin, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Denver field office, has been a controversial figure in these parts, with medical marijuana attorney Rob Corry suggesting he’d gone rogue and Congressman Jared Polis citing him in a letter about MMJ policy to Attorney General Eric Holder. But…
A dispensary ban in Colorado Springs seems bound for the November ballot — but this development leaves Springs city council member Darryl Glenn torn. On the one hand, he agrees with Attorney General John Suthers that Amendment 20 didn’t authorize dispensaries — but he thinks an outright ban could lead…
