cannabisnews.com: Colorado Senate Gives Initial Nod To Rules function share_this(num) { tit=encodeURIComponent('Colorado Senate Gives Initial Nod To Rules'); url=encodeURIComponent('http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/25/thread25648.shtml'); site = new Array(5); site[0]='http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+url+'&title='+tit; site[1]='http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit.php?url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[2]='http://digg.com/submit?topic=political_opinion&media=video&url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[3]='http://reddit.com/submit?url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[4]='http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url='+url+'&title='+tit; window.open(site[num],'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=620,height=500'); return false; } Colorado Senate Gives Initial Nod To Rules Posted by CN Staff on May 05, 2010 at 17:56:45 PT By John Ingold, The Denver Post Source: Denver Post Denver, CO -- The Colorado Senate today gave the first of two necessary approvals to a bill regulating medical-marijuana dispensaries, putting the bill on the closing stretch to passage.The second approval could come as early as today. With only minimal differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, Colorado's new rules for its booming medical-marijuana industry are coming into sharp focus. "This has been a long, strange trip," Sen. Chris Romer — a Denver Democrat who has sponsored the new rules — said to his fellow senators, making a Grateful Dead reference. "For six months, we've had a conversation we didn't expect to have."House Bill 1284, which the Senate adopted on second reading Wednesday, would require all dispensaries in Colorado to have both state and local licenses. State licensing fees, which would ultimately be set by the Department of Revenue to cover the cost of the new regulations, could run into the tens of thousands of dollars. People convicted of drug felonies, those who haven't been residents of Colorado for at least two years and others would be prohibited from opening a dispensary.Dispensaries would have to prove by Sept. 1 that they grow 70 percent of the marijuana they sell. They would not be able to stay open past 7 p.m.And, most contentiously, local governments or local voters would be able to ban dispensaries within their communities.That last provision stirred the most heated debate Wednesday, with opponents saying it was unwise and unconstitutional. Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, said the provision could be overturned in court, throwing all the new regulations into jeopardy."We have no statutory authority to carve out new exceptions to what is a constitutionally granted right," Carroll said. Snipped Complete Article: http://denverpost.com/technology/ci_15025443Source: Denver Post (CO)Author: John Ingold, The Denver Post Published: May 5, 2010Copyright: 2010 The Denver Post CorpWebsite: http://www.denverpost.com/Contact: openforum denverpost.comCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 06, 2010 at 17:50:56 PT CO Senate Backs Marijuana Dispensary Regulations By Jeffrey Wolf May 6, 2010Denver -- The Colorado Senate has passed regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries. The Senate voted 26-9 in favor of the legislation Thursday, sending it back to the House to review changes made to the bill. They include a sales tax exemption for marijuana sold to low-income people. The lack of significant changes to the bill makes it likely that lawmakers will be able to pass regulations before they adjourn next week. Some lawmakers who voted for the bill say they have a lot of reservations. Some want better control of the industry, and others want clear rules to prevent dispensaries from being raided by drug agents. Copyright: 2010 by The Associated PressURL: http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=138375&catid=339 [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Hope on May 06, 2010 at 07:30:03 PT It seems all the bad regs are really still in this bill. I thought we'd heard they'd been rejected.This is not good and I'm really disappointed in Colorado's legislature.I'd like to see Romer's political career seriously dwindle. He's a regular Bob Barr. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Hope on May 06, 2010 at 07:01:15 PT Thank you Storm Crow! What a relief to hear from Judge Gray. It's an antidote to the poison of having to read that Dr. Quack Quack's authoritarian drivel.I hope you're right, Goneposthole. I guess this means the governor won't sign it anyway. He said he wouldn't, didn't he, if that thing wasn't in it about local community's being able to ban dispensaries wasn't included in the bill and it's not... is it? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by goneposthole on May 06, 2010 at 03:53:15 PT It won't matter what the Colorado legislature does.Cannabis sales in Colorado will remain the same or probably increase.The horse is out of the barn on this one. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Storm Crow on May 06, 2010 at 02:02:00 PT How about some sanity? http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/news/x289799588/Proponent-of-marijuana-legalization-looks-for-better-solutions-to-drug-problemsProponent of marijuana legalization looks for ‘better’ solutions to drug problemsBy Jamie Gentner Daily News Posted May 05, 2010 08:57 AM Yreka, Calif. —Days after the candidates for Siskiyou County sheriff expressed their stand against legalizing marijuana, a leading proponent of drug policy change was in Siskiyou County encouraging residents that “there has to be a better way.” Retired Superior Court Judge James R. Gray spoke to about 25 representatives of legal entities, social service institutions and the general public on Tuesday about “one of the most critical issues facing the country today” – drug use, abuse and law. Gray has been a judge in Orange County, Calif., since 1983 and is the author of “Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It – A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs.” Several times throughout the talk, Gray pointed out that, just like a repeal of the prohibition of alcohol led to a decrease in crime and abuse, the repeal of drug prohibition could be beneficial. He cited examples in Holland and Switzerland. (snipped)Thank you, sir! (And I wonder if His Honor, reads CNews?) [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on May 05, 2010 at 21:44:23 PT Quack quack, US TN: LTE: Safety Foremost In Marijuana LawFrom a Dr. CloseWhile the medical benefits of marijuana are debatable, it is probably not reasonable to deny someone who is chronically ill its pleasures. However, public safety has to trump individual rights. As such, any "medical marijuana" statutes must have certain provisions to avoid its abuse. These must include at least the following: 2 ) Anyone admitted to such a program must be considered unfit for employment and unfit to operate a motor vehicle. As such, anyone in this program must surrender his/her driver's license. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n339/a02.html?397(What garbage) [ Post Comment ] Post Comment