There are two sets of policies regarding drug legalization in Colorado. The first is Recreational drugs and the second is Medical drugs. The Colorado Amendment 64 allows 21 years or above aged adults to grow 6 or less cannabis plants privately. The law states that this has to be a locked space and they should not have more than half mature flowering plants. The plants need not be moved from where they are growing. While travelling, you can legally possess one ounce or less of the said drug. As far as gifting this drug to people is concerned, you cannot gift more than one ounce to individuals 21 years or older.
The cultivation facilities need to be licensed and so do the product manufacturing areas and places.
Same goes for testing areas and retailing stores. Being high with Cannabis while driving can get you similar offences charged as alcohol intoxication while driving. Visitors and tourists can use the drug in Colorado but cannot take it out of the delineation of the state. It is also prohibited at Denver International Airport. On May 28 2013, several bills were approved and signed which set out the complete and comprehensive details of cannabis legalities in Colorado. The first stores selling the drugs finally opened their doors for customers who were mostly tourists. Extra police had been called in Denver due to safety apprehension. The drug use was limited due to these fears in ski resorts.
As far as the medical uses of the drug are concerned, on November 7, 2000, 54% of voters in Colorado supported Amendment 20. The said amendment allowed the use of cannabis for medical purposes.
The patients need to be approved and consent must be obtained. Not more than 2 ounces of medical cannabis is allowed. Doctors can recommend the rights to grow more than legally authorized plants for patients with specific medical needs. The conditions which can cause a doctor to prescribe Cannabis to patients are:
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Epilepsy
More disorders which can cause the patient to have seizures, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms, and nausea can also motivate the doctor to prescribe cannabis in the set limitations.
Federal law carefully monitors patients which have been prescribed the drug. The prescribed drugs cannot be used by the patients in public places or where they can be seen by others. It is also not allowed if it harms other people. Many dispensaries in Colorado offer a wide variety of cannabis-
inclusive medicines or edible food products with the drug strains. There are some dispensaries which also offer the customer seeds which can help them grow their own drug. In the law, Cannabis is classified as a schedule I drug.
New records show that the revenue gained from the sale of cannabis is $22million. This is a very huge amount, and taxable. The state is taking in more than $3.5 million in sales and excise taxes. With medical marijuana sales factored in, people bought more than $53 million worth of weed in Colorado in April.
Poll results suggest a 70% support of voters to support the constitutional amendment. Because it is a constitutional amendment, it needs at-least 60% of voters support to pass. Another poll released this week has support at 66%. It will be interesting to see further updates on this.