The Cannabist

9/16/16--Colorado tourism officials are ramping up educational and informational efforts around marijuana laws. Cathy Ritter, director of the Colorado Tourism Office, hopes to help clear up any misinformation for visitors who have an interest in the legal marijuana industry as well as those who may be deterred from traveling to Colorado because of their perceptions. Read

9/16/16--An estimated $1 billion in new tax revenue would be directed toward specific new or expanded programs such as drug use prevention and treatment, helping at-risk youth, law enforcement, environmental clean-up and research if California marijuana is legalized. Read

9/19/16--The proposal to legalize small amounts of recreational marijuana for adults calls for a tax rate on pot sales that would be lower than states that have previously legalized the drug. Critics argue the tax structure envisioned may not generate enough revenue to cover the regulatory and enforcement costs associated with marijuana legalization. Read

9/19/16--Tommy Chong, of Cheech and Chong fame,  spent nine months in federal prison in the early 2000s for selling bongs over the internet. Last month, he started a White House petition encouraging the president to pardon him. To date, it’s received over 13,000 signatures, and needs more than 80,000 more by Sept. 25 to ensure a White House response. Read

9/16/16--The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado charged FusionPharm Inc. owners William Sears and Scott Dittman with conspiracy to defraud by passing off money from illegal stock sales as product sales. The Commerce City company profits from converting old shipping containers into greenhouses, primarily to cultivate cannabis. Read

9/19/16--Las Vegas billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson recently donated $1 million to the political committee that is trying to defeat Amendment 2. Adelson two years ago donated $5.5 million to help defeat a similar amendment. If approved by Florida voters Amendment 2 would allow medical use of marijuana. Read

9/19/16--Protecting Nevada’s Children, a formal campaign against legalizing recreational marijuana in Nevada, launched Friday with the support of heavy-hitters, including Gov. Brian Sandoval and the organization that represents Nevada’s casino industry. Read

9/19/16--Politicians and anti-pot groups are saying Coloradans have buyer's remorse when it comes to legal marijuana, but a new poll finds the opposite is true. Read

9/8/16--Michigan marijuana won’t be on the statewide ballot in November. The state appeals court and the Michigan Supreme Court each turned down appeals by the Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Committee trying to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Read

9/2/16--While the NRA staunchly opposes gun sale restrictions on would-be pistol packers on the government’s “no-fly” list, the NRA is OK with banning state-legal medical cannabis patients from purchasing firearms without due process. Read

8/29/16--Josephine County’s growing marijuana industry is experiencing growing pains. The number of medical marijuana grow sites in the county has remained steady from a year ago, but growers who sell to retailers have been sprouting up. Read