WHEELIN' AND DEALIN'

Legalization - or decriminalization, or regulation, or whatever the
hell you want to call it - efforts are all the rage these days, and
two efforts have emerged on the state level: the Regulate Marijuana
Like Alcohol Act of 2012, backed by SAFER, NORML, Sensible Colorado
and others, and the Relief for the Possession of Cannabis Act,
proposed by Cannabis University's Michelle LaMay.

The first proposes a legalized, limited amount of marijuana
possession, while the second limits the courts "from imposing any fine
or sentence for the possession, and cultivation and sale of cannabis."

Both have drawn their share of heat, but either is all good, says Tyla
Reimers, owner of Canna Center and Canna Caregivers.

"I like what they're putting in place - at least I did last time I sat
down and talked to them," she says, referring to SAFER's measure. "As
far as [LaMay's act], I'm all for that, because I think it's a silly
thing to punish people for having marijuana."

In an e-mail, Sensible Colorado's Brian Vicente says he thinks his
measure "has the best chance of passing of any legalization measure in
history." Either way, Reimers says she's not worried about her centers.

"I think there is still going to be medical marijuana," she says. "And
I think if there is some kind of regulated recreational use, then
maybe that will open the window for getting rid of the tax on medical
marijuana, which would be all to the patients' benefit."

Don't worry about it

In an Aug. 1 brief responding to a lawsuit from the state of Arizona,
U.S. Attorney Scott Risner makes it clear that state employees who
administer a medical marijuana program face no "genuine threat" of
legal action.

"Here, Plaintiffs point to a letter from United States Attorney
Burke," Risner writes in one passage, referring to a portion of the
state's lawsuit that attempts to have a federal court rule on
Arizona's new MMJ program. "But nothing in the letter refers to state
employees."

The possibility of federal prosecution of state employees is one of
the reasons several states, including Washington, have been reluctant
to implement approved programs.

More, please

At its June 28 meeting, Colorado Springs City Council directed staff
to look at the cost of processing medical marijuana center
applications and determine if they're in line with the proposed fee
schedule.

While it's fair to say the City Clerk's office has done this, there's
a sample-size problem, says deputy city clerk Cindy Conway. "Only one
application has been submitted to date with an application fee of
$2,200," she writes via e-mail, adding: "Applicants/businesses have
until September 30, 2011 to submit an application."