{"id":7613,"date":"2017-07-28T00:57:45","date_gmt":"2017-07-28T00:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.denverpost.com?p=2731623&amp;preview_id=2731623"},"modified":"2017-07-28T00:57:45","modified_gmt":"2017-07-28T00:57:45","slug":"inside-a-wild-week-in-weed-for-colorado-springs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/inside-a-wild-week-in-weed-for-colorado-springs\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside a wild week in weed for Colorado Springs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/inside-a-wild-week-in-weed-for-colorado-springs\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"large-10 large-centered small-12 columns\">\n<div class=\"entry-meta-date\">Published: Jul 27, 2017, 3:10 pm \u2022 Updated: Jul 28, 2017, 7:16 am<span class=\"single-comments-link\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"byline\">By <span class=\"author\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/author\/awallace\/\" rel=\"author\">Alicia Wallace<\/a><\/span><em>, The Cannabist Staff<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been a busy week for marijuana in Colorado Springs.<\/p>\n<p>Colorado\u2019s second-largest city is in the national spotlight this week following a closed-door meeting between city leaders and federal officials about marijuana, a drug bust at a head shop business, a district attorney\u2019s statements connecting marijuana and murder, and the emergence of an organization touting the revenue potential of recreational pot.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you need to know:<\/p>\n<h3>\u2018Secret\u2019 meetings with the feds<\/h3>\n<p>On Wednesday, July 19, local news station <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kktv.com\/content\/news\/Marijuana-meeting-with-Colorado-Springs-officials-and-feds-closed-to-public-435319233.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">11 News (KKTV) sniffed out<\/a> that an undisclosed meeting took place between Colorado Springs city leaders and federal agents <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2017\/07\/20\/justice-department-marijuana-colorado-meetings\/84143\/\">about marijuana regulations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting addressed views of local officials and law enforcement toward the state\u2019s marijuana regulatory program, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers told <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kktv.com\/content\/news\/Marijuana-meeting-with-Colorado-Springs-officials-and-feds-closed-to-public-435319233.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KKTV 11<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/gazette.com\/colorado-springs-officials-hold-closed-door-meetings-with-feds-about-marijuana\/article\/1607494\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Gazette<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Some discussions centered on what Suthers classified as a \u201chuge\u201d black market and \u201csensitive case investigations,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/gazette.com\/colorado-springs-officials-hold-closed-door-meetings-with-feds-about-marijuana\/article\/1607494\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Gazette reported<\/a>. The representatives from the Justice Department and other federal agencies also heard from medical and education officials, who previously expressed concern about cannabis legalization, according to The Gazette.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kktv.com\/content\/news\/New-information-about-secret-marijuana-meeting-436960533.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KKTV 11 News later obtained<\/a> slides from the PowerPoint presentation made in the meeting. It was titled, \u201cD.C. Presentation,\u201d and some slides were named \u201cThe Legalization of Marijuana and the Unintended Consequences,\u201d and \u201cThe New Meth House.\u201d The slides included pictures of grow facilities, listed hazards cited by first responders and outlined negative community effects, according to 11 News.<\/p>\n<p>Public information officials representing Colorado Springs government could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday by The Cannabist.<\/p>\n<p>A day earlier in Denver, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2017\/07\/20\/sessions-marijuana-enforcement-colorado-meetings\/84164\/\">five federal officials met with 20 representatives<\/a> from a variety of Colorado agencies that handle some aspect of marijuana regulations, The Cannabist reported.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Bolton, marijuana advisor to Gov. John Hickenlooper, classified the talks as innocuous. The topic of current or future federal enforcement actions against the regulated marijuana industry was not were not focused on any current or future enforcement was not discussed, he told The Cannabist.<\/p>\n<p>The Denver-based Marijuana Industry Group called for \u201cproductive discussion\u201d involving cannabis regulations and requested that a variety of stakeholders be invited to participate in future meetings.<\/p>\n<h3>Head shop busted<\/h3>\n<p>On Tuesday, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman traveled to the Springs to announce a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2017\/07\/25\/hoppz-cropz-colorado-springs-head-shops-marijuana-sales\/84533\/\">13-person indictment<\/a> related to the bust of an enterprise that allegedly illegally ferried 200 pounds of cannabis through two head shops called <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hoppzcropz.net\/\">Hoppz\u2019 Cropz<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The business model consisted of selling low-cost items at prices far above their worth \u2014 such as a lighter for $15 \u2014 and packing that with a \u201cfree giveaway\u201d of marijuana, Coffman said in a news release.<\/p>\n<p>The Hoppz\u2019 Cropz home page touted \u201cfree flower and shatter gifts with all purchases,\u201d according to a screenshot taken Tuesday by The Cannabist. As of Thursday, the webpage still includes that promotion.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"figure wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84553\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/inside-a-wild-week-in-weed-for-colorado-springs.png\" alt=\"Hoppz' Cropz Colorado Springs head shop\" width=\"782\" height=\"350\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Screenshot of Hoppz\u2019 Cropz website taken Tuesday, July 25, 2017. (The Cannabist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>\u2018Gateway drug to homicide\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>At the Hoppz\u2019 Cropz indictment press conference, 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May said marijuana was \u201cthe gateway drug to homicide in our community and across our state,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/gazette.com\/officials-hoppz-cropz-arrests-underscore-problems-with-colorados-legalized-marijuana-system\/article\/1607830\">the Gazette reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>May claimed marijuana was connected to eight of 22 homicides in Colorado Springs last year, according <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kktv.com\/content\/news\/Black-market-marijuana-bust-leaves-bruises-on-Colorados-marijuana-industry-436622893.html\">to KKTV 11 News<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cColorado Springs Police Department put out this year we had 22 homicides in Colorado Springs last year, 2016. Eight of those were directly marijuana. That isn\u2019t somebody just using marijuana, that is somebody being murdered over legal marijuana grow in their house. Murdered over an illegal marijuana grow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>May went on to say local authorities are overwhelmed with trying to stop the crime involved with marijuana.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMarijuana is pouring out of Colorado,\u201d May said. \u201cIt\u2019s much more valuable in the streets of New York City than it is in the streets of Denver. Colorado\u2019s system is terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A query to May\u2019s office Thursday by The Cannabist was not immediately returned.<\/p>\n<h3>Attitudes on adult-use<\/h3>\n<p>Meanwhile, Colorado Springs\u2019 newspaper of record decided to take the temperature on city leaders\u2019 attitudes toward recreational marijuana.<\/p>\n<p>The majority of Colorado Springs City Council members think voters should decide on whether their city allows recreational marijuana, <a href=\"http:\/\/gazette.com\/poll-should-colorado-springs-allow-recreational-marijuana-sales\/article\/1607832\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to The Gazette<\/a>, which conducted an informal poll of council members last week.<\/p>\n<p>Six of nine council members told The Gazette they would favor a recreational marijuana ballot measure going before voters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to have a big community discussion,\u201d City Council President Richard Skorman told The Gazette. \u201cThe majority of the voters here did support it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In November 2012, Colorado Springs-area voters were practically evenly split on Amendment 64 \u2014 the ballot measure to tax and regulate the sale of adult-use cannabis. A total of 141,696 voters in El Paso County were in favor of the measure, while 141,686 opposed, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.elpasoelections.com\/2012General\/2012%20GENERAL%20ELECTION%20SUMMARY%20REPORT.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to county election results<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Potential economic impact<\/h3>\n<p>If Colorado Springs were to legalize, regulate and tax recreational marijuana sales, the city could reel in $25.4 million in tax revenue and permit fees in 2018, according to a study released Thursday by Jack Strauss, the Miller Chair of Applied Economics at the University of Denver\u2019s Daniels School of Business.<\/p>\n<p>The study also projected that legalization could create between 1,320 and 1,762 jobs for the region.<\/p>\n<p>Strauss\u2019 study was commissioned by the Colorado Springs-based Citizens for Safer Neighborhoods, a newly launched collective of residents and business people advocating for the city to adopt recreational marijuana laws.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe homicides are happening in the black market,\u201d said Mike Elliott, spokesman for Citizens for Safer Neighborhoods. \u201cWe are the solution to that problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Citizens for Safer Neighborhoods distributed Strauss\u2019 study to city council members and was planning to deliver the report to Suthers as well, Elliott said.<\/p>\n<p>As to whether the organization would launch a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana, Elliott said, \u201cAll options are on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne thing is clear, these criminal organizations operating in the black market enjoy marijuana being illegal more than anyone,\u201d Elliott said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re showing here, by allowing these licensed businesses, we can massively disrupt these criminal organizations and suck money away from them.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.documentcloud.org\/documents\/3902201\/Colorado-Springs-Economic-Study-on-Allowing.pdf\">Read the DU study looking at Colorado Springs:<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.documentcloud.org\/documents\/3902201\/Colorado-Springs-Economic-Study-on-Allowing.pdf\">Colorado Springs Economic Study on Allowing Recreational Marijuana Sales (PDF)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.documentcloud.org\/documents\/3902201\/Colorado-Springs-Economic-Study-on-Allowing.txt\">Colorado Springs Economic Study on Allowing Recreational Marijuana Sales (Text)<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-meta-tags\">\n<div class=\"entry-tags\">Topics: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/black-market\/\" rel=\"tag\">black market<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/colorado\/\" rel=\"tag\">Colorado<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/colorado-black-market\/\" rel=\"tag\">colorado black market<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/colorado-springs\/\" rel=\"tag\">Colorado Springs<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\" rel=\"tag\">Department of Justice<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/federal\/\" rel=\"tag\">federal<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/federal-marijuana-prosecution\/\" rel=\"tag\">federal marijuana prosecution<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/gateway-drug\/\" rel=\"tag\">gateway drug<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/head-shops\/\" rel=\"tag\">head shops<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/jeff-sessions\/\" rel=\"tag\">Jeff Sessions<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/john-hickenlooper\/\" rel=\"tag\">John Hickenlooper<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/john-suthers\/\" rel=\"tag\">John Suthers<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" rel=\"tag\">Trump administration<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-meta-author\">\n<div class=\"authorimage\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/author\/awallace\/\" rel=\"author\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/inside-a-wild-week-in-weed-for-colorado-springs.jpg\" class=\"authormug\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p class=\"author-desc\">Alicia Wallace joined The Cannabist in July 2016, covering national marijuana policy and business. In her 14 years as a business news reporter, her coverage has spanned topics such as the economy, natural foods, airlines, biotech, retail,&#8230;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- .row --> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>Secret meetings with the feds, head shop busts and &#8216;gateway drug to homicides&#8217; talk put Colorado&#8217;s second-largest city in the national spotlight. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6811,6812,6964,7212,6813,77,6814,6815,5667,6822,9,5019,1,3,61,1736],"tags":[6816,6817,6967,7214,6818,2655,6819,6820,5673,6824,5022],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7613"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7613\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}