Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Colorado state Sen. Chris Holbert never expected he would sponsor a bill allowing medical marijuana to be used in public schools.
But Holbert, like many people living in Colorado after the legalization of medical and then recreational marijuana, said he's had a lot to learn.
The bill, which requires schools to allow medical marijuana to be used on school grounds as long as it is administered by a caregiver and is not smoked, was signed into law in June.
"If you'd asked me a year ago would I sponsor that bill, I would have, out of ignorance, said, 'No, I wouldn't ever do that,'" Holbert said.
Lately, he's made an effort to listen to his constituents while learning about marijuana's uses and its varied forms. He said he's learned about marijuana benefiting unexpected populations, like mothers who prefer it to sleep medication.
Holbert is a Republican representing parts of Douglas County, where recreational sales are banned. He said he's heard from constituents who remain opposed to legalization - and added that he voted against medical and recreational marijuana - but he now likes to explain that it "seems to have pretty significant potential, and maybe we shouldn't hate it completely, because, I think, good things and bad things can come from this plant."
A flurry of legislation
An increasing number of marijuana-related bills have been signed in Colorado, with no sign of a slowdown in new legislation anytime soon. In response, Colorado law enforcement agencies wrote a letter in May seeking a two-year moratorium on new marijuana regulations because officers "cannot keep up with the quantity and speed of constantly changing marijuana laws."
The number began to climb after recreational legalization went into effect in 2014. That year, eight bills were enacted with marijuana in the title, double the four enacted in 2013. In 2015, there were 11. And in 2016, there were 16.
This election, ballot measures - some with competing interests - may affect the future of marijuana in Pueblo County. Ballot Question 2B would allow recreational stores within Pueblo city limits, while Ballot Question 300 would ban them, and Issue 2C would add a 4.3 percent tax to retail marijuana and marijuana products. Countywide, Ballot Question 200 would ban recreational sales and Ballot Question 1C would limit the number of plants per residence to 18.
"With any new billion-dollar industry, there's a lot of questions that are going to be raised," said state Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont. "If you look at this issue specifically, there's a nexus between jobs and the economy, the criminal justice system, social justice, public health, child welfare, individual health and environmental health. It touches almost every single facet of our lives, in one way or another, so it touches almost every level of government."
Singer is serving his second term in State House District 11, which covers part of Boulder County. He said he was one of two legislators to publicly support Amendment 64 when it was on the ballot.
Holbert said he's seen a legislative focus on the business of marijuana - his perspective evolved following discussions in the Senate's Business, Labor, and Technology Committee, which he chairs.
"When we look at things that are strictly business, I have tried to have a more open mind in treating businesspeople just like people in other heavily regulated industries," Holbert said.
The marijuana-related bills enacted in 2016 include banning edibles in shapes that could entice children and allowing the use of medical marijuana for those on probation. The topics are varied, from research to consumption to taxes.
The rate at which marijuana-related bills are enacted likely won't slow until it's legalized federally, Singer said.
"A lot of the twisting and turning that's happening is because we're trying to guess and second-guess what the federal government is going to do or not going to do," Singer said.
A model for the future
As law enforcement and lawmakers scramble to keep up, Colorado may serve as a model for even more states after Election Day.
Colorado is one of four states - plus Washington, D.C. - to have legalized recreational marijuana. This year, nine other states have marijuana legalization on their ballots - five for recreational use and four for medical use. Nearly 60 percent of adults in the United States think marijuana should be legalized, according to an October Pew Research Center poll.
Singer said Colorado legislators are learning from other states: "We've seen the sky hasn't fallen in some places, and we're actually, in some ways, tightening up things, and in other ways, loosening up things."
But first, there was uncharted territory.
"I won't say that we made up as we went along - we took a lot from the medical marijuana world and applied it to recreational - but that was one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking parts of all of this," Singer said.
In an Oct. 30 interview with "60 Minutes," Gov. John Hickenlooper urged caution for states looking to legalize. He encouraged other states to wait until there is more data on issues such as teenage use and abuse while driving.
"I feel confident enough now that I'm not trying to turn the clock back, even with all the problems we have and the challenges," Hickenlooper said in the interview.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Nearly Three Years Into Recreational Marijuana Legalization, Colorado Lawmakers Continue To Evolve
Author: Ellie Mulder
Contact: (719) 632-5511
Photo Credit: Jerilee Bennett
Website: The Gazette
But Holbert, like many people living in Colorado after the legalization of medical and then recreational marijuana, said he's had a lot to learn.
The bill, which requires schools to allow medical marijuana to be used on school grounds as long as it is administered by a caregiver and is not smoked, was signed into law in June.
"If you'd asked me a year ago would I sponsor that bill, I would have, out of ignorance, said, 'No, I wouldn't ever do that,'" Holbert said.
Lately, he's made an effort to listen to his constituents while learning about marijuana's uses and its varied forms. He said he's learned about marijuana benefiting unexpected populations, like mothers who prefer it to sleep medication.
Holbert is a Republican representing parts of Douglas County, where recreational sales are banned. He said he's heard from constituents who remain opposed to legalization - and added that he voted against medical and recreational marijuana - but he now likes to explain that it "seems to have pretty significant potential, and maybe we shouldn't hate it completely, because, I think, good things and bad things can come from this plant."
A flurry of legislation
An increasing number of marijuana-related bills have been signed in Colorado, with no sign of a slowdown in new legislation anytime soon. In response, Colorado law enforcement agencies wrote a letter in May seeking a two-year moratorium on new marijuana regulations because officers "cannot keep up with the quantity and speed of constantly changing marijuana laws."
The number began to climb after recreational legalization went into effect in 2014. That year, eight bills were enacted with marijuana in the title, double the four enacted in 2013. In 2015, there were 11. And in 2016, there were 16.
This election, ballot measures - some with competing interests - may affect the future of marijuana in Pueblo County. Ballot Question 2B would allow recreational stores within Pueblo city limits, while Ballot Question 300 would ban them, and Issue 2C would add a 4.3 percent tax to retail marijuana and marijuana products. Countywide, Ballot Question 200 would ban recreational sales and Ballot Question 1C would limit the number of plants per residence to 18.
"With any new billion-dollar industry, there's a lot of questions that are going to be raised," said state Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont. "If you look at this issue specifically, there's a nexus between jobs and the economy, the criminal justice system, social justice, public health, child welfare, individual health and environmental health. It touches almost every single facet of our lives, in one way or another, so it touches almost every level of government."
Singer is serving his second term in State House District 11, which covers part of Boulder County. He said he was one of two legislators to publicly support Amendment 64 when it was on the ballot.
Holbert said he's seen a legislative focus on the business of marijuana - his perspective evolved following discussions in the Senate's Business, Labor, and Technology Committee, which he chairs.
"When we look at things that are strictly business, I have tried to have a more open mind in treating businesspeople just like people in other heavily regulated industries," Holbert said.
The marijuana-related bills enacted in 2016 include banning edibles in shapes that could entice children and allowing the use of medical marijuana for those on probation. The topics are varied, from research to consumption to taxes.
The rate at which marijuana-related bills are enacted likely won't slow until it's legalized federally, Singer said.
"A lot of the twisting and turning that's happening is because we're trying to guess and second-guess what the federal government is going to do or not going to do," Singer said.
A model for the future
As law enforcement and lawmakers scramble to keep up, Colorado may serve as a model for even more states after Election Day.
Colorado is one of four states - plus Washington, D.C. - to have legalized recreational marijuana. This year, nine other states have marijuana legalization on their ballots - five for recreational use and four for medical use. Nearly 60 percent of adults in the United States think marijuana should be legalized, according to an October Pew Research Center poll.
Singer said Colorado legislators are learning from other states: "We've seen the sky hasn't fallen in some places, and we're actually, in some ways, tightening up things, and in other ways, loosening up things."
But first, there was uncharted territory.
"I won't say that we made up as we went along - we took a lot from the medical marijuana world and applied it to recreational - but that was one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking parts of all of this," Singer said.
In an Oct. 30 interview with "60 Minutes," Gov. John Hickenlooper urged caution for states looking to legalize. He encouraged other states to wait until there is more data on issues such as teenage use and abuse while driving.
"I feel confident enough now that I'm not trying to turn the clock back, even with all the problems we have and the challenges," Hickenlooper said in the interview.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Nearly Three Years Into Recreational Marijuana Legalization, Colorado Lawmakers Continue To Evolve
Author: Ellie Mulder
Contact: (719) 632-5511
Photo Credit: Jerilee Bennett
Website: The Gazette
