News

Colorado Pot Banking Law Doesn’t Seem to Offer a Solution

www.time.com link

Marley Natural Fine Cannabis Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv9aieNT6x0

Recreational Marijuana Legalized in DC, Oregon and Alaska

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There are now 4 states which have legalized recreational marijuana, double the amount of states that had it just 2 days ago. Washington DC has also legalized marijuana recreationally, but may face tough resistance in the US Congress. Washington DC’s law is not absolute until it is approved by the US Senate, which now is a vast majority of Republicans, so this one is still up in the air.

www.cnn.com link

www.theverge.com link

www.usatoday.com link

New York State Legalizes Medical Marijuana, but No Smoking

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www.cnn.com video link

Uraguayan President Says Colorado Has It Wrong

www.oregonlive.com link
By Noelle Crombie

Uruguay is hailed by marijuana advocates as a leader in pot policy, but a close look at details shows President Jose Mujica’s plan is more restrictive than Colorado’s approach to legal marijuana, AP reports.

Associated Press reporter Leonardo Haberkorn takes a look at the rules for marijuana sales in Uruguay. The rules go into effect Tuesday. Marijuana, under the new system, is expected to sell for less than a $1 a gram.

The state will sell five different strains, containing a maximum level of 15 percent THC, the substance that gets consumers high. Each bag will be bar-coded, radio-frequency tagged, and registered in a genetic database that will enable authorities to trace its origin and determine its legality, Canepa said. The rules limit licensed growers to six plants per household — not per person, as some pot enthusiasts had hoped. And while people who buy in pharmacies will be identified by fingerprint readers to preserve their anonymity, every user’s pot consumption will be tracked in a government database.

Mujica predicted that many will call him an elderly reactionary once they see this fine print, but he says his government never intended to create a mecca for marijuana lovers.

“No addiction is good,” he said. “We aren’t going to promote smokefests, bohemianism, all this stuff they try to pass off as innocuous when it isn’t. They’ll label us elderly reactionaries. But this isn’t a policy that seeks to expand marijuana consumption. What it aims to do is keep it all within reason, and not allow it to become an illness.”

Colorado Approves Banking System for Marijuana Industry

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/07/colorado-marijuana-banking_n_5284442.html?utm_hp_ref=marijuana

by Kristen Wyatt (AP)

Colorado lawmakers approved the world’s first financial system for the marijuana industry Wednesday, a network of uninsured cooperatives designed to give pot businesses a way to access basic banking services.

The plan seeks to move the marijuana industry away from its cash-only roots. Banks routinely reject pot businesses for even basic services such as checking accounts because they fear running afoul of federal law, which considers marijuana and its proceeds illegal.

The result: Pot shop owners deal in large amounts of cash, which makes them targets for criminals. Or they try to find ways around the problem, like drenching their proceeds in air freshener to remove the stink of marijuana and try to fool traditional banks into accepting their money.

“This is our main problem: Financial services for marijuana businesses,” said Sen. David Balmer, R-Centennial. “We are trying to improvise and come up with something in Colorado to give marijuana business some opportunity, so they do not have to store large amounts of cash.”

Colorado became the first state to allow recreational pot sales, which started Jan. 1. Washington state will follow suit, with retail sales expect to start in July.

The U.S. Treasury Department said in February that banks could serve the marijuana industry under certain conditions. With the industry emerging from the underground, states want to track marijuana sales and collect taxes. It’s a lot easier to do that when the businesses have bank accounts.

But most banks have shrugged at the Treasury guidelines, calling them too onerous to accept marijuana-related clients. The result is a marijuana industry that still relies largely on cash, a safety risk for operators and a concern for Colorado’s pot regulators.

“This is not something that we can wait for any further,” said another banking sponsor, Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont.

The bill approved Wednesday would allow marijuana businesses to pool money in cooperative s, but the co-ops would on take effect if the U.S. Federal Reserve agrees to allow them to do things like accept credit cards or checks.

Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper supports the pot bank plan and is expected to sign it into law, though a spokesman said Wednesday the governor had yet to review the final language.

Lawmakers from both parties supported the banking co-ops as a way to properly audit marijuana shops and to make sure they’re paying all their taxes. Dispensary owners came to the Capitol this session to tell of their difficulties paying taxes and utilities in cash and the dangers of dealing in cash.

“It is very easy to see somebody get killed over this issue,” Marijuana Industry Group Director Michael Elliott testified last month.

The plan had bipartisan support, though some Republicans said that the effort won’t pass federal muster.

A few banks are accepting marijuana clients in light of the federal regulations.

Numerica Credit Union in eastern Washington state is accepting limited business from marijuana growers and processors, The Spokesman-Review reported Wednesday.

Colorado pot shop owners say a small number of credit unions will do business with them, too, though no banks or credit unions have said so publicly.

Countries that don’t ban marijuana don’t have banking systems unique to the drug.

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Genius Girl Scout Sets Up Cookie Stand Next to Pot Shop

http://www.blog.sfgate.com link

This is the true essence of entrepreneurship! If there is marijuana4sale, bring cookies.

Ski Resorts not sure how to deal with influx of Stoner Skiers

http://HuffingtonPost.com link

Telluride may be Ski Resort Retail Marijuana Mecca

http://www.outsideonline.com link

US Forest Service Patrols ski areas for pot smokers

http://www.aspendailynews.com link

Ski Resorts Don’t Embrace Recreational Marijuana Due to 1970’s Law Banning Intoxicated Skiing

http://www.huffingtonpost.com link

2014-03-24 15.43.29

Travel Demand Up for Denver Flights Since Retail Marijuana Law Instituted

Huffingpost.com Article Link

First Retail Marijuana License Issued In the State of Washington on Wednesday March 5, 2014

ABCnews.go.com

Denver vs. Seattle in Superbowl 48, Coincidentally Both Teams From Recreational Marijuana States

Either way, recreational marijuana wins in this match up! It seems like a trend for the future.

Bitcoin Arrests Lead to Questions About Digital Currency

Dealbook.nytimes.com

Alaska Group Achieves 46,000 signatures in Support of Recreational Marijuana Legalization

FoxNews.com Article on Alaska’s Attempt to Legalize Recreational Weed

Denver New Years Eve 2013-14

Retail Bar Scene Denver NYE 2013-14

Colorado Retail Pot Shops Open for Business Jan.1, 2014

Colorado Retail Pot Shops Open for Business Jan.1, 2014

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/31/us/colorado-recreational-marijuana/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Marijuana Retailers opened for business on New Year’s Day in Denver, Colorado. 14 stores were granted the $5000/year license. Timothy Cullen, one of the first Marijuana Retailers, applied for his license on October 23, 2013. His license number, 402R-00078, was granted to Evergreen Apothecary LLC located at 1568 S. Broadway, Denver, Co. One store, Medicine Man, is now open for business and recently hired 25 new employees. They expect sales to at least double this year. One of the popular strains of marijuana for sale at $280/ounce is “San Fernando Valley OG Kush”. Medicine Man grows all their own marijuana and is required to attach a RFID (Radio Frequency I.D.) tag to each plant as a means of inventory control.

http://www.medicinemandenver.com/

Marijuana4sale.com has Relocated Its Online Directory Headquarters to Denver, Colorado.

Due to legal landscape changes and the legalization of Marijuana for Recreational use and Retail sale, Marijuana4sale.com has decided to relocate its headquarters to Denver, Colorado. These changes are effective January 1, 2014.

View our Retail Marijuana Directory by Clicking Here!