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Past Marijuana Convictions, Now Legal Under Amendment 64, Could Be Sealed

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COLORADO: Coloradans convicted of a marijuana offense that would have been legal had  been in place could petition to have their records sealed under a bipartisan proposal unveiled Tuesday evening in the state Senate.

Senate Bill 218, which was granted late bill status and comes with just days until the 2014 session concludes, would allow residents to file a petition with district courts to have their records sealed — a move, say some lawmakers and pot advocates, that could impact thousands of residents.

Amendment 64 went into effect in December 2012 and allows for the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for Coloradans age 21 and over. Moreover, it allows for adults to grow and cultivate their own marijuana.

Tickets For Public Pot Use In Boulder Quadruple Since Amendment 64

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COLORADO:  In the year since Amendment 64 legalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana in Colorado, Boulder police have issued nearly four times as many tickets for smoking pot in public — which is still illegal.

Boulder police Chief Mark Beckner said that while his officers have stopped ticketing people for mere possession of marijuana, more and more people have been smoking it in public since Amendment 64 was passed by voters. [Read more…]

Denver City Councilwoman Calls Marijuana Ordinance 'An Attempt To Nullify Much Of Amendment 64'

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COLORADO:  As I noted last week, Denver’s proposed marijuana ordinance not only criminalizes smoking pot in your own backyard if other people can see or smell it; it also makes it illegal to “possess” or “transport” marijuana “within any park, parkway, mountain park or other recreational facility.” [Read more…]

Governor Cuomo Announces 30-Day Amendments to Legislation Establishing Comprehensive Adult-Use Cannabis Program in New York

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NEW YORK:  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced 30-day amendments to the Governor’s proposal to establish a comprehensive adult-use cannabis program in New York. Specifically, these amendments will detail how the $100 Million in Social Equity funding will be allocated, enable the use of delivery services, and refine which criminal charges will be enforced as it relates to the improper sale of cannabis to further reduce the impact on communities hit hardest by the war on drugs.

“As we work to reimagine, rebuild and reopen New York, we’re taking every opportunity to address and correct decades of institutional wrongs to build back better than ever before,” Governor Cuomo said. “We know that you cannot overcome a problem without first admitting there is one. Our comprehensive approach to legalizing and regulating the adult-use cannabis market provides the opportunity to generate much-needed revenue, but it also enables us to directly support the communities most impacted by the war on drugs by creating equity and jobs at every level, in every community in our great state.”

Allocation of $100 Million Cannabis Social Equity Fund

Social and economic equity are the bedrock of Governor Cuomo’s proposal to legalize cannabis for adult-use and as part of that, the Governor’s proposal includes a $100 million dollar fund to help revitalize communities that have been most harmed by the war on drugs.

Through this fund, qualified community-based nonprofit organizations and local governments would apply for funding to support a number of different community revitalization efforts, including, but not limited to:

  • Job placement and skills services,
  • Adult education,
  • Mental health treatment,
  • Substance use disorder treatment,
  • Housing,
  • Financial literacy,
  • Community banking,
  • Nutrition services,
  • Services to address adverse childhood experiences,
  • Afterschool and child care services, system navigation services,
  • Legal services to address barriers to reentry, and
  • Linkages to medical care, women’s health services and other community-based supportive services

The grants from this program may also be used to further support the social and economic equity program.

Under the amended proposal, the Department of State would allocate the funding, through grants administered by Empire State Development Corporation, in collaboration with the departments of Labor and Health, as well as with the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, and the offices of Addiction Services and Supports and Children and Family Services. Final allocations and administration of funding would also be contingent upon approval from the Division of the Budget.

Enabling the Use of Delivery Services

The legalization of cannabis is expected to play an important role in helping rebuild New York’s economy following the damaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, legalization is projected to create more than 60,000 new jobs, and spur $3.5 billion in economic activity while generating an estimated $350 million in tax revenue once fully implemented.

Cannabis legalization also has the potential to have a significant economic benefit on distressed areas in New York, providing employment opportunities for all levels of the workforce. As social and economic equity are the bedrock of Governor Cuomo’s proposal, delivery services offer a low-cost entry point into the industry, particularly in communities which have been especially impacted by the war on drugs.

Recognizing this, the Governor is amending his proposal to allow for the permitting of delivery services as a way to open up access to this new industry even further so more New Yorkers can participate as it grows. As part of this, local governments would have the opportunity to opt out from delivery services occurring within their jurisdiction.

Criminality of Improper Sales

When establishing a new product market as the Governor’s proposal does, there will inevitably be attempts by bad actors to skirt rules and commit fraud for their own financial gain. This makes it critically important to ensure that penalties are carefully calibrated to ensure that all those who wish to participate in this new market, are operating on the same level playing field.

Cannabis, however, adds another complicating factor to this dynamic – years of outdated policies stemming from the War on Drugs have disproportionately impacted communities of color. Already, New York has taken steps to decriminalize cannabis and as this new market is realized, and it’s critical that criminal penalties are thoughtfully assigned, as to ensure that the progress which has already been made, is not inadvertently reversed.

As such, under the Governor’s amended proposal, specific penalties will be reduced as follows:

  • Criminal sale in the third degree (sale to under 21 year old) will be made a class A misdemeanor
  • Criminal sale in the second degree (sale of over 16 ounces or 80 grams of concentrate) will be made a class E felony
  • Criminal sale in the first degree (sale of over 64 ounces or 320 grams of concentrate) will be made a class D felony

The Governor’s proposal builds on years of work to understand and decriminalize cannabis for adult use. In 2018, the Department of Health, under Governor Cuomo’s direction, conducted a multi-agency study which concluded that the positive impacts of legalizing adult-use cannabis far outweighed the negatives. It also found that decades of cannabis prohibition have failed to achieve public health and safety goals and have led to unjust arrests and convictions particularly in communities of color.

In 2019, Governor Cuomo signed legislation to decriminalize the penalties for unlawful possession of marijuana. The legislation also put forth a process to expunge records for certain marijuana convictions. Later that year, the Governor spearheaded a multi-state summit to discuss paths towards legalization of adult-use cannabis that would ensure public health and safety and coordinate programs regionally to minimize the cross-border movement of cannabis products.

Building on that important work, the Governor’s proposal reflects national standards and emerging best practices to promote responsible use, limiting the sale of cannabis products to adults 21 and over and establishing stringent quality and safety controls including strict regulation of the packaging, labeling, advertising, and testing of all cannabis products. Cannabis regulation also offers the opportunity to invest in research and direct resources to communities that have been most impacted by cannabis prohibition.

House Passes Budget With Medical Cannabis Protection Amendment

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Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment will Protect Patients from AG Sessions until September 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: After months of debate and continuing resolutions, the House of Representatives has passed its Appropriations package for the fiscal year of 2018. Unlike previous short term measures, this bill will fully fund the government through September 30, 2018. At over 2,200 pages the bill is a massive combination of funding outlays and policy. Due to the hard work of advocates the bill includes the text of the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment.

The amendment, which has appeared in previous versions of the annual appropriations bill protects medical cannabis patients and programs from federal interference by the Department of Justice. Due to the recession of the Cole, Ogden, and other memos by Attorney General Sessions, this amendment is the only thing that prevents large-scale federal raids and prosecutions against businesses and individuals complying with state laws. The full text of the amendment is below:

SEC. 538. None of the funds made available under this Act to the Department of Justice may be used, with respect to any of the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, or with respect to the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico, to prevent any of them from implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions lobbied Congress to oppose the re-passage of the amendment. In a letter sent in May 2017, he told Congress:  “I believe it would be unwise for Congress to restrict the discretion of the Department to fund particular prosecutions, particularly in the midst of an historic drug epidemic and potentially long-term uptick in violent crime.”  Sessions has been a vocal adversary of medical cannabis. Patient advocates fear that without the protections granted by the CJS Medical Marijuana Amendment, Session would be able to shut down medical cannabis programs and the patients they serve.

“The inclusion of the CJS Amendment in the House budget shows that Congress knows it must protect medical cannabis patients from AG Sessions and his Department of Justice. We are extremely grateful to the sponsors, Congressman Rohrabacher and Congressman Blumenauer, and the other members that showed leadership on the issue.“said Steph Sherer, Executive Director for Americans for Safe Access. “Now we hope the Senate will feel the same. We are one step closer to knowing patients will now be protected for another year while we work on passing comprehensive legislation like the CARERS ACT.”

Support for the re-passage of the amendment was strong and diverse. In November 2017, 66 members of the House signed on to a letter to Congressional Leadership that expressed the desire to maintain protections for state medical cannabis programs. The letter was signed by 28 Republicans and 38 Democrats.

A similar letter was also sent last year to appropriations leadership signed by Americans for Safe Access, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, US Pain Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Epilepsy Foundation, Tourette Association of America, National Women’s Health Network, and Realm of Caring.

The bill will now be sent to the Senate and  will be considered under a closed rule, meaning that the time of debate and ability to amend the bill will be limited. While a government shutdown remains possible over other policy provisions in the bill, it is incredibly encouraging to see the provisions of this amendment in the original text of the bill.

The bill also includes several provisions protecting industrial hemp, and a significant number of provisions related to combating the opioid crisis.

 

Colorado Governor Polis Grants Clemency, Including Marijuana Pardons

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COLORADO:  Governor Jared Polis announced that he has granted three commutations, fifteen individual pardons, and signed an Executive Order granting 1,351 pardons for convictions of possession of two ounces or less of marijuana.

Governor Polis signed House Bill 2021-1090 on May 20, 2021, increasing the amount of marijuana that adults 21 and older in Colorado can legally possess from one ounce to two ounces. This bill builds on precedent set by Amendment 64 passed in 2012 and the bipartisan House Bill 20-1424, which authorized the Governor to grant pardons to a class of defendants who were convicted of the possession of up to two ounces of marijuana.

The marijuana pardon applies to state-level convictions of possession for two ounces or less of marijuana, as identified by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The individuals who have these convictions did not need to apply for pardons, and the Governor’s Office has not conducted individual assessments of the people who have been pardoned through this process. Individuals convicted of municipal marijuana crimes, or individuals arrested or issued a summons without a conviction, are not included in the pardon.

Individuals who are unsure whether a conviction on their record has been pardoned may fill out a form to request confirmation of a pardon on the Colorado Bureau of Investigations website. To obtain their entire criminal history, people can visit CBIRecordsCheck.com. Once a conviction is pardoned, it will not appear on a criminal history obtained on the records check website.

“Adults can legally possess marijuana in Colorado, just as they can beer or wine. It’s unfair that 1,351 additional Coloradans had permanent blemishes on their record that interfered with employment, credit, and gun ownership, but today we have fixed that by pardoning their possession of small amounts of marijuana that occurred during the failed prohibition era,” said Governor Polis.

The Governor also granted commutations to Ronald Johnson, Nicholas Wells, and Rogel Aguilera-Mederos. Mr. Johnson is granted parole effective January 15, 2022, with terms and conditions of parole to be set by the Parole Board. Mr. Wells is parole eligible on January 15, 2022. Mr. Aguilera-Mederos’ sentence is reduced to 10 years.

The Governor granted pardons to Travis Cleveland, Anthony Formby, Rudolph Garcia, Stephanie Gssime, Michael Jordan, Timothy Lewis, Reginald McGriff, Henry Moreno, Joseph Murillo, Michael Navarro, Ryan Nguyen, Shawn Phillips, Armando Solano, Mohammed Suleiman, and Theresa Yoder.

The Executive Orders and clemency letters can be found here (letters) and here (Executive Orders).

Governor Polis re-created the Executive Clemency Advisory Board in 2019. The Board reviews clemency applications and makes recommendations to the Governor for commutations and pardons.

The Governor would like to disclose that he recently learned that a relative of Mr. Rogel Aguilera-Mederos’s attorney works in the Governor’s office. This individual had absolutely no involvement in the commutation process and works in an unrelated capacity to this matter, and was not aware of the Governor’s decision in advance.

Curt’s Cannabis Corner: Cannabis Consumption Lounges.

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Welcome to the next installment in the series of educational articles from technical writer Curt Robbins at Higher Learning LV and MJNews Network. This collection is intended for cannabis and hemp industry professionals who wish to gain a better understanding of the nuanced biochemistry, often confusing business environment, and dynamic regulation of this special—and newly legal—herb. 

This week readers learn about the increasingly popular trend of cannabis consumption lounges. While not permitted in most of North America (including, surprisingly, the majority of adult-use legal states), some jurisdictions are beginning to warm to the idea of what might materialize as something similar to alcohol bars, except for cannabis (and probably featuring fewer angry brawls). 

How might the cannabis industry differentiate itself from established mainstream lounge business segments such as coffee shops and taverns that focus on alcohol, non-alcoholic beverages, and non-infused food? Will modern cannabis lounges borrow the speakeasy environment from a century ago? Or will they invent something entirely new?

 

CURT’S

CANNABIS

CORNER 

Cannabis

Consumption

Lounges

By Curt Robbins

 

 

In early June 2021, the state of Nevada passed AB341, legislation that permitted the tightly regulated legal operation of a limited number of cannabis consumption lounges.  While 19 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to date have adopted adult-use marijuana laws, most do not include provisions for marijuana consumption lounges. The success and impact of Nevada’s new law—particularly in entertainment- and hospitality-smart Las Vegas—won’t begin to manifest until 2022, with the legislation going into effect Oct. 1, 2021 and licensing windows opening soon after. 

Typically progressive adult-use cannabis jurisdictions, including Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, have mulled the idea of consumption lounges for years, Nevada is among the first to actually implement and regulate what is likely to become a robust network of specialized retail facilities (many of which will cater to tourists, a speciality of both Las Vegas and Reno). If successful, consumption lounges will soon be available to nearly every weed consumer in the state (two-thirds of whom reside in the Vegas metro area).

“I think this really solidifies us as the cannabis destination,” said Steve Yeager, D-Las Vegas, the sponsor of Bill AB341.

Lounges Appeal to Tourism

“Consumption lounges are so perfect for our tourism industry. The sooner we get out there, the more we’ll be looked upon as a marijuana-friendly city and state,” said Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom. Segerblom, a former state senator, led an earlier attempt to legalize cannabis consumption lounges in Nevada in 2017. He called the new law “a game changer.” 

“Done the right way, consumption lounges cannot only be beneficial to the public, but also to government coffers at all levels, adding jobs and additional tax revenue,” said David Farris, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Planet 13 in Las Vegas, one of the city’s most famous adult-use dispensaries. 

In California, legislation was recently approved by the state’s Assembly that would allow licensed cannabis lounges to sell non-cannabis foods and drinks—something that is prohibited under the Golden State’s existing adult-use cannabis laws passed back in 2016. 

The bill, AB 1034, was sponsored by Assemblyman Richard Bloom on behalf of the City of West Hollywood to better address the state’s position regarding marijuana lounges and allow the on-site consumption of non-infused beverages and foods. 

“Just like in bars and restaurants, people want to be able to socialize with friends while consuming cannabis,” said Tim Wright, CEO of Shasta Management in Imperial County, California. The company plans to in May open the “largest consumption lounge in the U.S.”

Evolution of Lounge Laws

While informal cannabis lounges have appeared throughout North America for decades, they typically have been either illegal underground operations or openly operating under what basically have been loopholes in local ordinances and state laws that allowed them to operate as private clubs. 

 

Examples include the bohemian Northwest Cannabis Club in Portland (a private lounge requiring membership that is tightly regulated by the local municipal government) and the trendy Tetra Lounge in Denver. The Tetra Lounge calls itself a social lounge and notes that it offers “private consumption” of cannabis that, like the Northwest Cannabis Club, requires customers to be members to legally dispense its services.

The first state to pass formal legislation in support of cannabis consumption lounges was Alaska in 2019, which amended its existing adult-use marijuana law with an on-site use option available to all licensed dispensaries. Colorado followed with 2019 legislation (HB 1234) that permitted limited lounges called “tasting rooms.” 

“Not having on-site consumption [in Alaska was] detrimental to the tourist industry. There [was] nowhere to smoke and it made [tourists] feel alienated,” said Jake Warden of SWOT Team Solutions in Anchorage. 

“Lawmakers’ approval and the governor’s enthusiasm for signing them into law indicate the state is ready to move forward with fulfilling Amendment 64’s promise to regulate marijuana like alcohol,” said Jordan Wellington of Denver lobbying firm VS Strategies regarding Colorado’s tasting room law shortly after it was passed.

Although yet to manifest as visitable retail establishments, the recent adult-use law passed in New York (S.854-A/A.1248-A) includes provisions for cannabis consumption lounges. Also of note, but not directly related to lounges, New York’s law allows cannabis consumption in any public space that permits the use of smoked tobacco (sorry, New York peeps, but this excludes beaches and public parks).

Interestingly, New York’s law is polar opposite that of Nevada in terms of ownership restrictions. While Nevada gives preference to existing licensed adult-use dispensaries for eligibility for lounge licenses (allowing only 20 non-dispensary licenses in the entire state), New York prohibits a consumption lounge license holder from also possessing an adult-use dispensary license. (Similarly, the Empire State prevents cultivation and processing/manufacturing licenses from owning retail dispensaries.) 

Connecticut Enters Adult-Use Fray

The most recent entrant to the adult-use legalization party is Connecticut, which on June 22 passed SB 1201. Although the new law does not itself directly permit consumption lounges, it includes language regarding potential implementation of lounges in the future. 

The state has committed to, no later than January 1, 2023, “make written recommendations concerning whether to authorize on-site consumption or events that allow for cannabis usage, including whether to establish a cannabis on-site consumption or event license.”

A review of the new Connecticut law brings to light an interesting and unique element wherein the state will require cities featuring populations of greater than 50,000 residents to “designate a place in the municipality in which public consumption of cannabis is permitted.” How this comes to fruition will be very interesting to observe. (Follow this series for updates as implementation of the new Connecticut adult-use law evolves.)

While this may give proponents of consumption lounges reason to celebrate, this language was followed by more sobering regulatory realities: A declaration that such amendments to the law “may prohibit the smoking of cannabis and the use of electronic cannabis delivery systems and vapor products containing cannabis in the outdoor sections of a restaurant,” for example.

However, in the reasons to celebrate column, Sec. 89 of the legislation, which becomes effective July 1, 2022, states that “no hotel, motel, or similar lodging shall prohibit the legal possession or consumption of cannabis in any nonpublic area of such hotel, motel, or similar lodging.” Nicely done, Connecticut. 

That’s a Wrap

While 18 U.S. states to date have adopted adult-use marijuana laws, most do not include provisions for marijuana consumption lounges. The success and impact of Nevada’s new law—particularly in entertainment- and hospitality-smart Las Vegas—won’t begin to manifest until 2022, with the legislation going into effect Oct. 1, 2021 and licensing windows opening soon after.

Will other adult-use states follow in the footsteps of Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada, and New York by adopting formal laws that recognize and regulate marijuana consumption lounges for those 21 and over? Only time will tell if this is the beginning of a larger wave of pot lounge culture (and commerce) that’s about to sweep the United States. 

CURT’S CANNABIS CORNER THE PODCAST: Join host Curt Robbins (Higher Learning LV) , co-host David Rheins (MJBA/MJNews) industry thought leaders Alex Brough (Cannabition/Kaneh Ventures) and Alana Armstrong (Alan Aldous) as they discuss how the mainstreaming of cannabis will go well beyond public consumption lounges, to include restaurants that feature infused menus, CHABA massage therapy, pot tourism, music & marijuana events, puff and paint, and even museum experiences.

Governor Polis Signs Bill Eliminating Possession Offense For Up To 2 Ounces Of Marijuana

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COLORADO: Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law this week increasing the amount of cannabis adults can legally possess from one ounce to two ounces. It also streamlines the record-sealing process for past cannabis possession convictions and expands record-sealing eligibility to include additional cannabis offenses. The new law takes effect immediately.

In 2012, voters approved Amendment 64, making possession of up to one ounce of cannabis legal for adults 21 and older under the state constitution. Possession of between one and two ounces of cannabis remained unlawful because a previously existing Colorado statute classified possession of up to two ounces as a petty offense.

HB21-1090, sponsored by Rep. Alex Valdez and Sen. Julie Gonazales, eliminates the offense for possession of up to two ounces of cannabis, thereby increasing the legal possession limit from one ounce to two ounces for adults 21 and older. It also preserves the illegal status of possessing any amount of cannabis for people under 21.

Bringing the legal possession limit into alignment with the historical classification for lowest-level possession offenses is also expected to reduce the administrative burden associated with sealing the records of past possession offenses.

Federal Government Reports Teen Marijuana Use In Colorado Still Has NOT Increased Since Legalization

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Five years after Colorado voters decided to regulate marijuana for adult use, rates of current and lifetime use among high school students remain relatively unchanged and on par with national averages

COLORADO: A new federal report shows rates of teen marijuana use in Colorado have still not increased since voters decided to end marijuana prohibition in 2012 and start regulating it similarly to alcohol for adult use.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) found 19.6 percent of Colorado students are currently using marijuana (compared to 19.8 percent nationwide), down from 21.2 percent in 2015 and 22 percent in 2011, the year before voters approved Amendment 64. The rate of lifetime use dropped to 35.5 percent in 2017 (compared to 35.6 percent nationwide), down from 38 percent in 2015 and 39.5 percent in 2011.

The Colorado and nationwide data for 2017 are available at the CDC website. The CDC released the nationwide YRBS data late last week, and it appears to have released the state-level data sometime this week.

Statement from Marijuana Policy Project spokesperson Mason Tvert, who co-directed the campaign in support of Amendment 64:

“After five years of marijuana being legal for adults in Colorado, government surveys continue to find no increase in usage rates among high school students. This is very welcome news for Colorado, and it should be particularly welcome news for those who opposed the state’s legalization for fear it would lead to an explosion in teen use. Hopefully it will allay opponents’ concerns in other states where voters or lawmakers are considering proposals to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult use. Colorado is proof that you can prevent teen marijuana use without arresting thousands of responsible adult marijuana consumers every year. Rather than debating whether marijuana should be legal for adults, let’s focus on how we can regulate it and control it to make it less available to teens.”

Colorado’s Brian Vicente: What’s Next For The Silicon Valley Of Marijuana?

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COLORADO: By any metric, 2014 was a monumental year for the legalization of cannabis. Colorado became the first state in the U.S. to allow recreational use and the overwhelmingly positive impact on the state’s economy, school funding, and crime rates helped to spark the nationwide domino effect we’re seeing today as more and more states look to consider legalization. Colorado saw nearly $700 million in marijuana sales last year, generating over $63 million in tax revenue.

Brian Vicente of VicenteSederberg LLC was a key advocate and campaigner for Amendment 64, which called to regulate marijuana like alcohol. As one of the primary authors of the bill, Vicente was instrumental in creating the framework and effective messaging that resonated with voters. He has been called the “the industry’s de facto spokesperson” by The Guardian (UK) and his practice dubbed “the country’s first powerhouse marijuana law firm” by RollingStone.

As part of our Future of Cannabis coverage, Equities.com caught up with Vicente to discuss the next phase of the cannabis industry, what states he thinks are next, and what went wrong in Ohio.

EQ: You were one of the primary authors of Amendment 64, which led to the monumental legalization of cannabis for recreational use in Colorado. It’s been nearly two years since that came into effect. Reflecting on the framework and its implementation, how have things progressed based on your initial expectations?

Vicente: I think they’ve really been positive from both an economic and social standpoint. With most major cultural shifts, traditionally you don’t see an opportunity for commerce. But with marijuana legalization, we really have seen that. There’s this intersection of social change. We’ve changed this policy that was illegal for 80 years, and with that, simultaneously there’s this opportunity for commerce.

We’ve see a ton of exuberance from investors looking to enter this field. We have a lot of creative ideas percolating. Colorado feels sort of like the Silicon Valley of marijuana. You’ve got 10,000-plus new jobs created since marijuana was made legal directly in the marijuana industry and probably another 10,000 ancillary jobs that are supporting that industry just in our state. Really, for what is considered as a generally down economy nationally this has really worked out quite well for Colorado.