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Three Losses for the Colorado Cannabis Community

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n June 5, the governor of Colorado vetoed three important bills concerning medical and recreational cannabis. Gov. John Hickenlooper tossed out bills that promote cannabis as a viable treatment to alleviate symptoms of autism, as well as other issues in investing, managing and consuming cannabis, and extinguished hopes of opening tasting rooms under another popular cannabis bill.

House Bill 18-1263, the autism bill, generated passionate rallies outside Hickenlooper’s office, to no avail. “In vetoing this bill, we do so on sole concern that medical efficacy on MMJ to treat ASD has yet to be fully studied by medical professionals and scientific experts entrusted to this role at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE),” Hickenlooper wrote on his website.

Although Hickenlooper cited insufficient studies on cannabis as the reason the bill was vetoed, he also stated, “while we are very sympathetic with families advocating medical marijuana as a safer and more effective treatment for their children, we cannot ignore such overwhelming concerns from the medical community.”

Another measure, House Bill 18-1011, proposed more flexibility in investing in cannabis businesses but was shot down by Hickenlooper, who instead resisted to change and sided with  federal law. “The marijuana industry is organically expanding. While we wish to encourage business opportunity, we must approach capital expansion in the market in a way that is consistent with our federal oversight, and not degrade the robust regulatory system that Colorado worked so hard to establish,” said Hickenlooper in the veto letter.

He went on to veto bill House Bill 1258, which introduced the implementation of cannabis tasting rooms, losing trust from many medicinal cannabis consumers in Colorado. He stated that the bill was in direct violation of Amendment 64, approved in 2012.

“Amendment 64 is clear: marijuana consumption may not be conducted ‘openly’ or ‘publicly’”, he added. “By allowing consumption at marijuana establishments, HB-1258 sends the wrong message by permitting people to consume marijuana in a public setting; a practice that may increase the number of impaired drivers on our roadways.”

The vetoes cannot be challenged by the General Assembly, however, they could be reintroduced next year.

 

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