marijuana
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Colorado Supreme Court takes up 6 cases on involuntary intoxication, malicious prosecution, child neglect trials
The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Monday it will hear appeals in six cases, including the question of whether a person can claim he knowingly ingested one substance that was secretly laced with another behavior-altering substance as a defense to criminal charges. At least three of the court’s seven members must agree to grant an…
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Divided 10th Circuit orders further evaluation of legality for $6.4 million judgment in cannabis case
The federal appeals court based in Denver ruled on Monday that a Maryland man may be required to pay $6.4 million after all for breaching a contract with his intended partner in a cannabis company, so long as it does not require the manufacture or sale of marijuana. By 2-1, a three-judge panel of the…
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10th Circuit says couple convicted in marijuana grow operation cannot skirt mandatory minimum sentence
A husband and wife who were convicted of a large-scale marijuana grow operation at their Thornton home cannot take advantage of the legal provision that exempts some drug offenders from mandatory minimum sentences, the federal appeals court based in Denver ruled last month. Huosheng Xian and Youlian Zhong, who arrived in the U.S. from China in…
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Biden, at risk with young voters, is racing to shift marijuana policy
WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris looked up from prepared remarks in the White House’s ornate Roosevelt Room this month to make sure the reporters in the room could hear her clearly: “Nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.” Harris’ “marijuana reform roundtable” was a striking reminder of how the politics have…
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Federal judge finds no constitutional violation in requiring illegal pot growers to forfeit house
Requiring an Aurora couple to forfeit their home to the government after using it to illegally grow marijuana does not violate the constitutional prohibition against excessive fines, a federal judge ruled last month. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice petitioned to take possession of a home in the 23000 block of East Wagontrail Avenue…
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Appeals court orders new trial for defendant barred from invoking ‘laced’ marijuana defense
For the first time last month, Colorado’s second-highest court determined a man should have been allowed to defend himself against criminal charges by letting jurors evaluate whether he ingested marijuana that, unbeknown to him, was allegedly laced with a stimulant. A Denver jury convicted Isaac U. Mion of robbery, criminal mischief and menacing. There was clear…
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Gov. Jared Polis backs reclassifying marijuana as Schedule III drug: ‘It’s about time’
As the federal government considers lowering marijuana’s classification as among the riskiest drugs, Gov. Jared Polis is expressing his support. Polis sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Tuesday backing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendation that marijuana be removed from the Schedule I classification – reserved for dangerous drugs posing…
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Colorado fails to inspect dozens of marijuana businesses, audit finds
At least 75 Colorado dispensaries haven’t been inspected by the state in the last four years. An audit released Monday uncovered wildly inconsistent inspections among Colorado marijuana businesses. Dozens of dispensaries haven’t received any targeted inspections or underage compliance checks since 2019, the audit found. In that same timeframe, one dispensary was inspected 19 times. From…
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Colorado Supreme Court says Boulder officer acted reasonably in asking driver to take blood test
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday agreed a Boulder police officer acted reasonably when he asked a driver who crashed into and severely injured another man to take a blood test, then gave him substantial time to discuss it with his mother. Eli Allan White was driving an unfamiliar Tesla and was preoccupied with the…
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10th Circuit agrees Adams County deputy who fractured motorist’s ribs not liable for excessive force
An Adams County sheriff’s deputy who pulled a man out of his pickup truck and fractured his ribs after smelling marijuana is not liable for excessive force, the federal appeals court based in Denver ruled last week. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit agreed Jeffrey Helvie’s refusal to exit the vehicle and…