Fewer crimes, more revenue as medical marijuana industry stabilizes in Colorado Springs

Data from the city of Colorado Springs, its police department and the Colorado Department of Revenue show interesting trends as the marijuana industry matures amid growing pains that have attracted national attention, including the cash-only nature of the business.

SEATTLE — Washington launched its second-in-the-nation legal marijuana market with just a handful of stores selling high-priced pot to long lines of customers. A year later, the state has about 160 shops open, pot tax revenues have soared past expectations and sales top $1.4 million per day.

And who knows — the industry might even start making some money.

Washington pot farmers, processors and retailers have complained all year that heavy state and federal tax burdens, along with competition from an unregulated medical marijuana market, have made it difficult for them to do business.

Recreational marijuana is beginning its slow creep across America, beginning in states like Colorado and Washington — which have become total hellscapes, obviously — and an entire startup ecosystem is sprouting up in order to reap the rewards of the inevitable home gardening revolution.

Some companies now want to help spread the revolution free of cost. 

The marijuana industry’s shady past and current illegal status at the federal level have kept most insurance companies from offering policies to the new industry. “Few and far between,” is the way Paul Warshaw CEO ofGreenRush in California describes the options. His technology company works with more than fifty medical marijuana dispensaries and he says many of them do not have all the coverage they need.

GRAND BLANC, MI – Bella Chinonis can't talk. She can't walk, chew or play like most children her age. The 6-year-old Grand Blanc girl couldn't even stand until a few months ago.

Her days have consisted of seizures lasting anywhere from 2 to 27 minutes and taking multiple prescription medications for problems she's been dealing with since she was born.

Her mother, Ida Chinonis, says it wasn't until Bella was introduced to cannabis oil that things started turning around for her little girl.

"She can stand now. She responds to voices and she loves the movie 'Frozen.' She didn't do that before and the only thing different we are doing is giving her medical marijuana."

After serving three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Kristoffer Lewandowski was medically and honorably discharged from the Marine Corps.

He is now a 100% disabled veteran because of the severity of his PTSD. Since he has gotten out, the VA had him taking up to 13 pills a day to treat his PTSD. The pharmaceutical treatment was killing him.

Early clinical research shows that medical marijuana is highly effective for treating PTSD, and it does not have the dangerous side effects of SSRIs.

After realizing that the meds were killing his liver, Lewandowski decided that it would be a good idea try marijuana as a treatment. He began growing 6 plants for his personal use.

By Bob Frucci

Tremendous growth brings Greater Challenges

These are interesting and exciting times for both the Medical Marijuana (MMJ) and Security Industries. The MMJ industry is growing tremendously with all indications that this growth will continue into the long term. There are tremendous amounts of cash and huge assets of highly targeted valuable product that require protection. With tremendous growth comes tremendous challenge.

The legal marijuana industry brought in $2.4 billion last year, so it's certainly no longer any sort of laughing matter.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)-A petition for a proposed initiated statute called the “Fresh Start Act” which would expunge the criminal record of a person with past marijuana convictions if it becomes legal in Ohio, was certified by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

According to the Attorney General’s office, the petition, a proposed initiated statute, was certified as containing both the necessary 1,000 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters and a “fair and truthful” summary of the proposed law.

COLUMBUS - Signatures for a new marijuana law proposal have been certified, the Ohio State Attorney General’s Office announced on Monday.

The “Fresh Start Act” from the group Responsible Ohio, which expunge criminal records for past marijuana convictions if the drug becomes legal, received the necessary 1,000 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters.

The Ohio Ballot Board must determine if the proposed statue would contain a single law or multiple laws.

Responsible Ohio would then need to collect signatures for each proposed law from registered voters in each of 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties, according to the Attorney General’s Office, which is equal to 1.5 percent of the total vote cast in the county for the office of governor at the last gubernatorial election.