Normally when I write about cannabis and Colorado it’s about a major freak-out over something just discovered about how to regulate the industry. As of now, there isn’t a big freakout, but still a few things of interest to the regulated states.
Last week a law took effect that required marking edibles with a standard symbol, and restricting labeling of edible products. This in the name of “protecting the children” but in reality is likely more helpful to naive adults. I doubt these efforts accomplish much.
The City of Denver will be voting on an initiative to permit consumption in certain businesses. The situation is that if public consumption is not allowed, and hotels don’t permit smoking, that tourists have no place to legally consume. Alaska is contemplating this very question as their new rules are crafted. Think taverns for a place to get a beer.
I’m in Pueblo right now. The city had a moratorium for a while, which caused several marijuana shops and grow operations to pop up in West Pueblo, an adjacent town. When the moratorium was lifted a few more opened in Pueblo proper. Meanwhile Pueblo County was a good place for larger grow operations. This turn of events inspired a few NIMBYs to collect signatures and get an initiative on the ballot to ban everything currently licensed and operating.
At a public issues forum in Pueblo earlier this week, the proponents of the ban, the folk that got it on the ballot, failed to show up.
As usual, watching Colorado is interesting, especially if you’re a regulated state.