marijuana
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Democrats eye new taxes on alcohol, marijuana to fund Colorado mental health spending
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Facing hundreds of millions in budget shortfall, Colorado lawmakers are searching for ways to fund mental health services in a state that, advocates say, has consistently ranked among the worst in the nation for mental health outcomes. Several proposals this session aim to generate new revenue for treatment and hospital beds. The ideas — including…
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Lawmakers propose raising excise taxes on alcohol, marijuana to fund mental health spending
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Colorado lawmakers hope to refer a measure to the November ballot that would increase excise taxes on alcohol and marijuana, with the revenue going toward mental health and civil commitment facilities around the state. House Bill 1301, sponsored by Rep. Bob Marshall, D-Highlands Ranch, and Sen. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, would impose sales tax increases of…
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One Chance to Grow Up director reflects on marijuana legalization 14 years later
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Fourteen years after Colorado became one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana, the executive director of an organization focused on educating parents about the drug’s effects on developing brains is reflecting on how much has changed in nearly a decade. Henny Lasley, cofounder of One Chance to Grow Up, said among the biggest…
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Colorado marijuana regulators consider major changes to how labs test for contaminants
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This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with The Denver Gazette. Sign up for Dispatches to get our stories in your inbox every week. Colorado marijuana manufacturers would no longer be allowed to choose which product samples they send for mandatory lab testing under a new regulatory proposal discussed at a…
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Divided Colorado Supreme Court curtails use of laced-substances defense
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The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday walked back the ability of criminal defendants to claim their conduct was the result of consuming an intoxicating substance that secretly contained another behavior-altering substance. Under state law, “involuntary intoxication” is an affirmative defense, meaning the prosecution has to disprove some component of that defense for the jury to…
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Colorado justices weigh constitutionality of student backpack search based on confidential tip
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The Colorado Supreme Court considered on Wednesday whether a tip submitted through the state’s confidential school safety system provided a Douglas County administrator with reasonable suspicion to search a student’s backpack for drugs. A trial judge blocked evidence from the search from being used against the child, prompting the district attorney’s office to appeal directly…
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Big Marijuana in Colorado is all about spin, denial | PODIUM
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Where there’s weed smoke, there’s fire. In Leadville last month, this was literally the case, as a pot shop incinerated along with its mind-altering wares. The acrid smoke was so harmful to residents that homes were evacuated. The local public health agency told people to stay indoors or wear masks for a half-mile around town.…
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Colorado marijuana sales likely to reach $1 billion in 2025
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Colorado’s marijuana sales will likely reach $1 billion by the end of 2025, generating almost $200 million in tax revenue, according to a state agency. “Colorado’s world-class marijuana industry drives out criminals and cartels and is supporting Colorado businesses and jobs while driving revenue for school construction. This important milestone is one that our state can continue…
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Trump signs executive order that could reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that could reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug and open new avenues for medical research, a major shift in federal drug policy that inches closer to what many states have done. The switch would move marijuana away from its current classification as a…










