Colorado: Legislature finalizes historic marijuana legalization

[RainDog]

Last edited Thu May 9, 2013, 07:01 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23198163/colorado-senate-gives-final-approval-historic-marijuana-bills

The Colorado legislature made history Wednesday, becoming the first in the country to pass laws regulating recreational marijuana sales and use.

If Gov. John Hickenlooper signs the four major bills on marijuana that the legislature passed this year — and he has indicated he will — this is what the future will hold:

• Marijuana will be sold in specially licensed stores that can also sell pot-related items such as pipes. Only Colorado residents can own or invest in the stores, and only current medical-marijuana dispensary owners can apply to open recreational pot shops for the first nine months. The first stores will open around Jan. 1.

• Colorado residents will be able to buy up to an ounce of marijuana — the maximum it is legal for non-medical-marijuana patients to possess — at the stores. Out-of-staters can buy only a quarter-ounce at a time. Pot must be sold in child-resistant packages with labels that specify potency. Edible marijuana products will have serving-size limits.

• Voters will have the option of imposing heavy taxes on pot sales. A ballot measure set for November will ask voters to approve a 15 percent excise tax and an initial 10 percent sales tax on marijuana. The excise tax will fund school construction. The sales tax will pay for regulation of marijuana stores.

(more at link)

Congrats to Colorado voters and to the Democratic Party of Colorado that brought this legislation to pass! The Colorado Democratic Party (as well as many other Democratic Party platforms in states across the country), moved to include marijuana legalization as part of their party platforms.

However, Democrats, Independents and libertarian-minded Republicans voted to approve this historic legislation for the state. This is, truly, a bipartisan issue that reflects the will of the American people regarding outmoded and racist laws that should be erased from the books in the U.S.

A last minute effort to recriminalize marijuana failed in the state legislature before this historic vote.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11701105

[Politicalboi]

1. Their rules are ridiculous

But at least they are getting the ball rolling. Does beer come in child proof containers? Does the store limit how many beers you can buy? Yet MJ is harmless compared to booze. And kids can go into liquor stores to buy candy. Still treating the cure for cancer like it's a pariah, while booze is looked at as a goal to kids.

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. The rules are a bit much, but we now have a state regulating legal marijuana.

I'd prefer the tomato model myself, but this is a start.

[RainDog]

4. Yeah, as noted before... baby steps

It's hard for a govt. to admit to lying to people for 70 years about a substance that is safer than aspirin.

...not to mention all the lies that people believe because of the lying liars who told them. So these restrictions keep the "reefer madness" meme in play while giving people time to adjust to reality.

People are also able to grow 6 plants at a time - three that are flowering and three that are seedlings, or not flowering. Depending upon someone's gardening technique, those three plants can generate far more than an ounce per plant every few months.

Unless someone is creating a public nuisance, I doubt law enforcement will care too much about people with more than one ounce in their homes. The restrictions will allow them to go after people who are trying to be in biz without a license, etc. for now.

But someone could have a low THC/high CBD no buzz for health reasons, and two other hybrids or even pure indica and sativa mother plants at all times. I expect CO will have some interesting experiments going on creating personal blends, etc.

Beyond this, if someone has epilepsy or autism or other issues, I think they're covered under medical marijuana provisions.

Companies are still allowed to test for metabolites, not actual impairment, and refuse employment or terminate b/c of this at this time, as well.

Better tests are needed for actual impairment (the best test, of course, is a field sobriety one) because urine tests only test for previous use, not current impairment.

[Yavin4]

5. Can out of state residents buy it?

If so, where can I stay in Denver?

[RainDog]

6. Out-of-staters may purchase a quarter-ounce at a time.

I would love to be able to have a b&b&b4b to accomodate your vacation. (Bed & Breakfast & Books for Bud-Tourists)

Incorporated marijuana collectives will be banned. So, too, will marijuana coffee shops, marijuana smoking in bars and government-run marijuana stores. And, though Colorado will have the most liberal laws for marijuana use and sales in the country, it will have the most restrictive laws in the country for marijuana-themed magazines, which, like pornography, will have to be kept behind the counter. Publications such as High Times and The Daily Doobie have vowed to sue.

What someone does in their hotel room, afaik, would be protected. On-site entertainments, live music, great books to browse, evening films, interesting food.

But the place itself would not sell any bud.