Tag: marijuana

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Colorado State Publications Blog

Marijuana Facts for Parents and Caregivers

Last month the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment launched a new awareness campaign, Responsibility Grows Here, for teaching parents and caregivers about the responsible use of marijuana, including information for pregnant and breastfeeding women, responsible use around children, and how to talk to youth about marijuana. From the CDPHE’s press release:

Trusted adults ― parents, family, teachers and others ― can have an enormous influence on whether a young person uses marijuana. Health department surveys show young people with parents who feel marijuana use is wrong are four times less likely to use it. Those young people who have family rules about marijuana use, parents they can talk to and supportive teachers are much less likely to use marijuana.
To take advantage of these strong relationships, the health department’s trusted adult campaign shows these role models how important their voices can be and provides them resources they need to talk to their kids about marijuana. Responsibility Grows Here has tips on how trusted adults can start a conversation about marijuana; listen to the concerns of their children; and share information about the health and legal consequences of underage marijuana use. It also provides tips on discussing how marijuana use can get in the way of finishing school, building a career or pursuing other life goals. 

Parents and caregivers can find additional marijuana information by viewing the following resources:

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Colorado State Publications Blog

Worker Safety and Health in the Marijuana Industry

One of the most frequently accessed publications in our entire library collection is the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s 2017 Guide to Worker Safety and Health in the Marijuana Industry.  As the industry grows (no pun intended) in our state and in many other parts of the nation, more and more people are finding employment in this industry.  If you are one of them, be sure to check out this helpful resource, which includes information to

  • Assist in the recognition of occupational health hazards that might be present within the marijuana industry.
  • Identify specific existing federal, state, and local safety and health related regulations that may apply to the marijuana industry
  • Provide initial recommendations for engineering, administrative and personal protective equipment controls that can be used to help eliminate or reduce hazards in the marijuana industry.
  • Provide information and resources to assist employers in developing written workplace safety and health programs.
  • Provide information to help develop marijuana worker safety training programs.

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Colorado State Publications Blog

Financial Protection for Marijuana Businesses and Investors

In 2014 the Colorado Legislature passed the Marijuana Financial Services Cooperative Act, which allows for the creation of what are referred to as “cannabis credit co-ops,” defined as “a cooperative association incorporated…for the twofold purpose of providing specified financial services to its members and creating a source of credit for them.”  According to the Act, the creation of these co-ops was necessary because, since growing, possessing, and selling marijuana is still illegal under federal law, many financial institutions are reluctant to provide financial services to marijuana businesses. With co-ops, marijuana businesses have access to legitimate financial services, thereby discouraging black-market financial dealings and reducing the need for businesses to keep large amounts of cash on premises.  Co-ops also give the state greater “ability to track and independently verify the accounting of licensed marijuana businesses’ revenues.”

Cannabis credit co-ops are overseen by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA)’s Financial Services Division.  More information on the co-op program, including bylaws and how to apply for membership, can be found on the division’s website.  You can learn more about the Division of Financial Services in their annual report.

DORA also works to help consumers become educated on how the can protect their finances.  For those considering investing in the marijuana industry, this brochure from DORA explains how you can better protect your finances by understanding the risks and benefits of marijuana investing.  DORA’s Division of Securities also has a great deal of helpful information on their For Investors website, including tips on spotting and avoiding fraud, how to file a complaint, and much more.

To read more about the state’s regulation and oversight of the marijuana industry in Colorado, search our library’s online catalog.

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Colorado State Publications Blog

New Laws in Effect January 1

On New Year’s Day several new laws, passed during the 2016 and 2017 legislative sessions, went into effect.  The new laws are:

The 2018 legislative session will begin on Wednesday, January 10.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Time Machine Tuesday: History of Colorado Cannabis Laws

    The topic of marijuana/cannabis in Colorado is not a new one.  In our library you can find state publications that tell the story of cannabis in Colorado over the past century.

    The first Colorado cannabis law appeared on the books exactly one hundred years ago.  In 1917, the Colorado Legislature passed a law “to declare unlawful the planting, cultivating, harvesting, drying, curing, or preparation for sale or gift of cannabis sativa, and to provide a penalty therefor.”  Violation of this law was a misdemeanor and the penalty was “a fine not less than ten nor more than one hundred dollars” and/or “imprisonment in the county jail not more than thirty days.”  The penalty was bumped up to a felony in 1929 and by 1937 the punishment had grown to “imprisonment in the state penitentiary for not less than one year nor more than ten years.”  The Colorado Year Book 1937-38 discusses the 1937 law:

    The legalization of medical marijuana was added to the State Constitution in 2000.  However, a 1927 law shows that druggists were allowed — with a prescription from a licensed physician — to dispense no more than one ounce of marijuana in pharmacies.  Colorado law again addressed medical marijuana in a 1981 law “concerning the therapeutic use of cannabis.”

    For further resources search the online Colorado Session Laws or our library’s web catalog, or contact our library for information.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Department of Revenue Annual Report

    The Colorado Department of Revenue has just released its 2016 Annual Report.  This annual report is one of the most useful and robust statistical reports published by the State.  In the report you can find numbers on such topics as:

    MOTOR VEHICLES

    • Titles and registrations
    • Emissions
    • Licenses issued
    • Permits issued 
    • Numbers of licenses in force, by type
    • Organ donors
    • Renewals and reinstatements
    • Vehicle ownership tax collected by county
    • Registered vehicles by type and by county
    • Registered vehicles by plate type (special plates)

    LOTTERY

    • Ticket sales by game type, including comparison with previous years
    • Distribution of funds 

    AUTO INDUSTRY

    • Number of dealer licenses by type
    • Investigations
    • Fines 

    GAMING

    • Revenues and expenditures
    • Fund distribution
    • Revenue distribution resulting from Amendment 50
    • Gambling intercept payments (restitution)

    LIQUOR AND TOBACCO

    • Tobacco sales violations and compliance checks
    • Liquor licenses by type
    • Liquor licenses by county
    • Liquor sales violations

    MARIJUANA

    • Active licenses, medical and retail
    • Application fees collected
    • Sales and excise taxes collected
    • Licensed businesses by county

    RACING EVENTS

    • Live racing days
    • Pari-mutuel sales (horse and greyhound)
    • Pari-mutuel tax collections
    • Racetrack and licensed off-track betting locations

    TAXATION

    • Sales and use tax net collections
    • Income tax returns
    • Tax credits
    • Alternative minimum tax
    • Refunds issued
    • Distribution of tax collections by type
    • Severance tax
    • Gross receipts realized by source
    • Cost of administration
    • Individual income tax checkoffs

    …and more.  You can also compare this data with previous years by viewing the department’s past annual reports, available online from our library all the way back to 1942!

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Cannabis Production Information

    Cannabis growers in Colorado are required to follow certain rules and regulations.  The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA)’s website has several resources that can help producers or prospective producers raise cannabis safely and legally.

    CDA has recently launched their Pesticide Use in Cannabis Production page.  Here you can find information on the Colorado Pesticide Applicator Act, the Governor’s Executive Order on marijuana and pesticides; federal worker protection standards; a list of pesticides allowed for use on cannabis; and other associated rules and regulations.

     In Colorado certain seed varieties have been approved for growing industrial hemp.  The CDA’s Industrial Hemp webpage lists approved seed varieties and contains videos, fact sheets, registration forms, inspection information, and more.  The page also includes fact sheets and FAQs to help both producers and consumers to understand the difference between hemp and marijuana and other hemp facts.

    To find out about home growing, as well as other marijuana laws and information, go to the state’s marijuana website.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Marijuana Taxes

    How much money is Colorado receiving from taxation of retail marijuana?  And where does the money go?

    The Colorado Department of Revenue provides answers to the first question.  Their Marijuana Tax Data webpage includes monthly sales tax collection by county, a data archive, and total number of taxes, fees, and licenses in Colorado.  They also have a Quick Answers page that covers marijuana tax information such as retailer and grower/manufacturer requirements, taxes for infused products (edibles), excise tax information, and medical vs. retail marijuana taxation information.  More in-depth information, including copies of marijuana-related statutes, can be found at their Legal Research webpage.

    The Colorado Legislative Council has recently published an Issue Brief to answer the second question.  Distribution of Marijuana Tax Revenue is a quick, easy-to-understand overview of where the marijuana tax money goes.  Check our library’s web catalog for more info and for new publications as the laws continue to change.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Marijuana Laws and Health Effects

    In anticipation of 4/20 the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has posted a news release with helpful reminders about the state’s laws regarding marijuana, as well as information on its health effects.  CDPHE has issued numerous publications to educate consumers about the regulation and effects of marijuana.  Other agencies, such as the Department of Revenue, which oversees enforcement, have also produced a number of publications — search the keyword “marijuana” in our library’s web catalog for resources.

    “Good to Know” is the state’s marijuana public awareness campaign.  See below for a new infographic created by CDPHE’s “Good to Know.”

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    New Statistics on Marijuana Use

    Today the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released new statistics on adult marijuana use in Colorado.  The data reveals that 13.6{66eaadba41c14e7e553ffe7a4ee73fbae213b19704eda0514b3dd79e37e4c0c5} of Colorado adults use marijuana.  Other data includes male vs. female use (men are more likely to use); education level and habitual use (use is lower among adults with a college education); use is highest among those with less than $25,000 annual household income; among racial groups, use by blacks is highest, followed by whites, then Hispanics, then others; and use by GLBT adults is higher than among heterosexuals, according to the findings.  Other results show that the average age for first trying marijuana is 18, but the number of adults 65+ at age of first try is higher than all other age groups; and, as the opposite of the use/education statistics above, the number of adults who have ever tried marijuana is actually higher among adults with a college education.  Finally, some alarming statistics are presented:  18{66eaadba41c14e7e553ffe7a4ee73fbae213b19704eda0514b3dd79e37e4c0c5} of users reported driving after using; and 3.9{66eaadba41c14e7e553ffe7a4ee73fbae213b19704eda0514b3dd79e37e4c0c5} of children live in homes where marijuana has been recently used inside.  For more of the health department’s analysis, see this morning’s press release.  For other resources on marijuana in Colorado, search our library’s web catalog.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    New Report on the Health Effects of Marijuana

    The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has just released a new report discussing the potential health effects of marijuana.  The report, Monitoring Health Concerns Related to Marijuana in Colorado, reviews the findings of recent literature on the topic to outline the likely health effects of the substance, and offers recommendations for future data collection and response measures.  Additional state reports on marijuana can be accessed by searching our library’s web catalog.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Marijuana Enforcement, Licenses, and Rules

    The Colorado Department of Revenue’s newly-designed website now includes a Marijuana Enforcement webpage which includes helpful information for marijuana retailers, law enforcement, and government officials.  This site includes all licensing information and forms for marijuana retailers, both medical and recreational; applicable laws, statutes, and regulations; tax information; and information on testing, transporting, and registering as a cultivator.  This site includes all the information a licensee or government official needs to make sure a marijuana operation is in compliance with Colorado laws and regulations.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Healthy Kids Colorado Survey

    Today, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released preliminary results from a survey that show that 37{66eaadba41c14e7e553ffe7a4ee73fbae213b19704eda0514b3dd79e37e4c0c5} of Colorado high school students have tried marijuana, and one in five has used it in the past month.  These results are from the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, a survey of middle and high school students that is administered every two years.  During this summer and fall, the results from the 2013 survey are being released.  Over the next few months, results will be available at http://www.chd.dphe.state.co.us/topics.aspx?q=Adolescent_Health_Data, where you can also find and compare results with previous surveys back to 1999.  You can also find the official reports of past surveys in our library — visit our web catalog and search keyword Healthy Kids Colorado Survey.  Also, you can find information on the effects of marijuana on youth at the State of Colorado’s official marijuana information website.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Industrial Hemp

    With the passage of Amendment 64, the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is required to perform such regulatory functions as registration of growers and oversight of crop inspections.  However, the CDA warns growers that “while Colorado legalized the production of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis spp), growing is still considered illegal by the Federal Law.”  Therefore, some factors in hemp cultivation cannot be addressed by the State, including pesticide use and farm subsidies.  The CDA has set up a website with links to information on industrial hemp cultivation.  Here you can find registration forms, rules and regulations, legal statements, the CDA’s inspection policy, FAQs, and more. 

    For more information on the legal aspects of Amendment 64 in Colorado, see the official Report from the Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Drugged Driving

    DUIs are not just for drunk drivers.  If you’re driving under the influence of drugs, you can also get a DUI.  The Colorado Department of Transportation has started a new drugged driving campaign, “Drive High, Get a DUI.”  According to the campaign’s website, in 2012, 5{66eaadba41c14e7e553ffe7a4ee73fbae213b19704eda0514b3dd79e37e4c0c5} of the total number of DUIs issued — including those for both alcohol and drugs — were issued for driving under the influence of marijuana.  With the recent legalization of marijuana in Colorado, that number is expected to grow.  However, not all drug DUIs are for marijuana; they are also issued to drivers under the influence of other recreational drugs as well as those abusing or misusing prescription drugs.  See the campaign’s website for more statistics, as well as FAQs about drugged driving; campaign materials; and information about the ignition interlock requirement for drunk/drugged drivers who refuse to take a drug test.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    New Marijuana Resource from the State of Colorado

    The State of Colorado has just launched a new website, www.colorado.gov/marijuana, that is the “Official State of Colorado Website for Marijuana Information & Resources.”  The site can help Coloradans discover resources including understanding the laws; marijuana’s impact on youth; how to know if you’re using too much; information for home growers; information about driving and marijuana; and much more.  The site is easy to navigate so Coloradans of all ages can use it to learn more about the drug and its effects.  The site is sponsored by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Marijuana-Related Online Education Materials

    With all the attention on marijuana lately, many parents and teachers are concerned about adolescent use of the drug and its effect on the developing brain.  The Colorado Dept. of Education’s Dropout Prevention and Student Engagement Office has created a helpful list of resources on this topic.  These resources can help youth make smart choices and understand why marijuana use is still illegal in Colorado for people under 21 years of age.  This information can also be useful to parents seeking to talk with their teens about marijuana, and to educators to incorporate into science and health curriculum.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    New Audit Report, Medical Marijuana Regulatory System

    An article in today’s Denver Post discusses a new state audit on the regulation of medical marijuana, but fails to give a link to the audit — so here is the link.  The audit report looks at the how well the Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado Dept. of Revenue are overseeing medical marijuana in Colorado, and provides recommendations.  This is actually Part II of this audit; Part I was released in March.  For more information on medical marijuana in Colorado, see the Colorado Legislative Council’s Issue Brief.  You can also find information at the CDPHE’s Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry Homepage and at the Colorado Dept. of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division website.

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    Colorado State Publications Blog

    Amendment 64 Implementation

    The State of Colorado has recently released its Task Force Report on the Implementation of Amendment 64, Regulation of Marijuana in Colorado.  This task force, created through Executive Order B2012-004, “was asked to identify the legal, policy and procedural issues that need to be resloved, and to offer suggestions and proposals for legislative, regulatory and executive actions that need to be taken, for the effective and efficient implementation of Amendment 64 — the constitutional amendment authorizing the use and regulation of marijuana in the State of Colorado.”