Written by Christopher Meyer | 6:10 pm on October 13, 2011

In a shocking betrayal of president Obama’s campaign promise not to interfere with medical marijuana in states where citizens voted to make it legal, US Attorneys in California have sent letters to landlords of prominent dispensaries threatening criminal charges and property seizure if they don’t evict their tenants.

It was that same promise that ultimately led to the Green Rush of 2009 and 2010 in Colorado. Hopeful cannapreneurs with slightly less fear of federal scrutiny took to opening retails centers, while patients signed up in droves. (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 6:16 pm on October 5, 2011

Last week the Denver Post published a map of Colorado medical marijuana centers and infused product manufacturers in the crime section of their blog.

What crime is it to open a business that’s been approved by Colorado voters and legislators?

Denver Relief pays taxes, fees, and obeys regulations so that we can be legal, yet almost every day selling medical marijuana is treated as criminal behavior.

 
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Written by Christopher Meyer | 6:10 pm on September 6, 2011

It is a cruel irony that the de-prohibition of the cannabis plant used as a medicine could occur before legal hemp production comes to fruition in the United States.

The oldest know human artifact is an 8000 year old piece of hemp cloth found in the Mesopotamia (modern-day Turkey) where western human civilization began.

It suffices to say that the cannabis plant has accompanied humanity throughout our history for its usefulness as a fiber, as a food, and as medicine. (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 9:05 am on August 27, 2011

Societally we have an ingrained trust in the medical profession. Prior to the technological era, the doctor was often the most wise, educated, and trustworthy person within the community, relied upon not only for medical treatment, but for advice, counseling, and direction.

Rather unfortunately, the same cannot necessarily be said of today’s doctors who are so intrenched in the health care system dictated by the wiles of insurance companies. This combined with ever present pressure from pharmaceutical and medical technology companies to prescribe and employ their latest and greatest treatments, produces doctors who reflect their environment.
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Written by Christopher Meyer | 1:39 pm on August 24, 2011

Dispensary Business News and Denver Relief want your opinion.

Your experiences matter and can help the medical marijuana industry better suit patient needs.

The survey is anonymous and takes just 2 minutes. We would greatly appreciate your taking a moment to share your thoughts.

Click here to take the patient survey

Written by Christopher Meyer | 11:22 am on August 19, 2011

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

- Tenth Amendment

This is the second part in our series exploring how the advancement of the marijuana movement does more than just erode prohibitionist attitudes, and has far-reaching benefits in many aspects of our society.

Ending marijuana prohibition in Colorado isn’t just about the medicine. The ability of states to set laws that govern what goes on within their borders as provided by the Tenth Amendment is also at stake. (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 12:57 pm on August 14, 2011

Consider the recent death of a teenager in jail who was arrested for marijuana possession after being stopped for not having lights while riding his bike at night, and take it as an example of myriad other tales of ruin that have come as a consequence of the war on drugs.

With this in mind, I will be exploring how the marijuana movement is representative of much more than just fighting cannabis prohibition.

This is the first part of a many part series investigating the many facets of this theme. Now, let us explore how the prosecution of cannabis users and producers has played a part in the lives of Americans. (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 11:23 am on August 6, 2011

Despite Colorado’s precedent, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer wants to know if state employees may be exposed to prosecution for drug offenses by working to license medical marijuana.

Until she finds out, Arizona’s medical marijuana program is on hold. Meanwhile untaxed, unregulated collectives are being formed.

This has evoked a response from US Attorney Scott Risner who filed a motion asking the federal judge to dismiss the case saying, “Their complaint presents no actual controversy, instead asking this Court for an advisory opinion as to a hypothetical dispute in which Plaintiffs [State of Arizona] themselves pick no side but rather resort to a purported disagreement among various fictional Defendants [State Employees].” (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 2:40 pm on July 28, 2011

You won’t hear about limits to how many barley plants a brewer may grow, or how many cocoa leaves a pharmaceutical company may possess to manufacture pain killers, yet Colorado’s newly enacted regulatory scheme not only requires that medical marijuana businesses limit the number of plants according to the number of patients that they serve, we must also connect specific plants to specific people.

Aggravating the situation is a graduated fee schedule the State of Colorado has created for medical marijuana center license. This means the more patients who declare a medical marijuana center as their primary provider, the more the medical marijuana center has to pay in licensing fees. (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 1:36 pm on July 15, 2011

Opinions, like bad rumors, are extremely difficult to dispel once created.

Opinions about marijuana today were formed at a time when anti-drug propaganda included images of dumb, loser stoners who can’t remember their name and can’t go more than a few minutes without toking.

This along with the media attention marijuana receives lately has led to opinions being formed about dispensaries that have about as much truth as the stoner stereotype.

With the regulation of recreational marijuana on the Colorado ballot in 2012, to succeed the marijuana movement must break down these myths.

What follows are reasons that opponents of medical marijuana cite when they argue against dispensaries or marijuana legalization.

 
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