Inside the Lightshade dispensary on 6th Avenue in Denver. April 1, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
An effort at the Colorado statehouse to curb young people’s access to highly potent marijuana is expected to get a final vote later this week. The measure has overwhelming support from lawmakers in both parties, but took months of negotiations between the marijuana industry and advocates for stricter marijuana laws.
The bill is not as sweeping as some advocates for tougher laws around marijuana concentrates would have liked. While the measure would create more stringent laws around teenage medical marijuana use, it does not set potency caps on the strength of marijuana concentrates or make any changes to the recreational use of marijuana.
State lawmakers look to regulate high-potency marijuana and medicinal marijuana thedenverchannel.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thedenverchannel.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Case in point: Wednesday morning.Â
Rep. Richard Holtorf, an Akron Republican, was making a lengthy case for an amendment as the chamber debated a stimulus bill seeking to infuse $10 million into the stateâs arts and film industries as well as cultural organizations.Â
House Bill 21-1285, from metro Denver Democratic Reps. Leslie Herod and Adrienne Benavidez, cleared the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on party lines last week before winning the approval of the chamberâs Appropriations Committee on the strength of Democratic votes earlier this week.
On Wednesday, the bill faced far stronger opposition from Republicans than it had seen in committee. GOP members, led by Holtorf, chided their Democratic colleagues for the the billâs cost, saying there were clear needs elsewhere.
Case in point: Wednesday morning.
Colorado State Rep Richard Holtorf (R-Akron) referred to a colleague as “Buckwheat,” leading to a heated exchange and brief recess of the House. #coleg#copolitics#9Newspic.twitter.com/jYXNbEMg8q Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) May 5, 2021
Rep. Richard Holtorf, an Akron Republican, was making a lengthy case for an amendment as the chamber debated a stimulus bill seeking to infuse $10 million into the state’s arts and film industries as well as cultural organizations.
House Bill 21-1285, from metro Denver Democratic Reps. Leslie Herod and Adrienne Benavidez, cleared the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on party lines last week before winning the approval of the chamber’s Appropriations Committee on the strength of Democratic votes earlier this week.