The Colorado Department of Revenue has issued new rules relating to Medical Marijuana Centers (MMCs) in Colorado. They go into effect July 1, 2011. You can read the 77 pages of rules here.

Via e-mail received from Cannabis Therapy Center, which is still studying the rules, the Department of Revenue made some effort to comply with patient privacy and confidentiality but they fall short in some areas, for example: [More...]

There's being smart on crime, tough on crime, and now just plain old dumb on crime.

Colorado's new Governor, John Hickenlooper, formerly the popular Mayor of Denver, has just joined the ranks of those who are dumb on crime.

Former Governor Bill Ritter, who previously served two terms as Denver's elected District Attorney, initiated several programs aimed at providing educational opportunities, mental health and drug treatment and vocational programs to inmates, all of which were aimed at reducing recidivism and helping the inmates with re-entry after release.

Hickenlooper has announced as part of his budget cuts (which already made him unpopular due to his announced cuts of $375 million for k-12 education) that he is cutting some of the inmate re-entry programs begun under Ritter.

Joseph Boven at Colorado Independent reports:

Gov. John Hickenlooper’s budget proposal cuts programs designed to reduce recidivism, prevent juveniles from entering the criminal justice system and cut the number of repeat drug offenders in jail — programs former Gov. Bill Ritter’s administration said were saving the state millions of dollars. Colorado realized significant savings as a result of Ritter’s recidivism and diversion packages as indicated in a fact sheet released by the Office of State Planning and Budgeting in 2010.

Examples of the cuts: [More...]

A Denver physician accused of rape by his former nanny was acquitted today. It was a he-said-she-said case. Defense attorney Pam Mackey (who represented Kobe Bryant in his alleged sexual assault case) and Saskia Jordan represented the doctor. More case details here.

What convinced the jury? The doctor, who is divorced, had two nannies, and the head nanny fired the complaining nanny after learning of the encounter. The fired nanny then filed a civil lawsuit against the doctor. Translation: motive to lie.

Both nannys and the doctor testified at trial. The jurors were allowed to ask questions. They deliberated four hours before reaching their verdict.

As a result of the charge, the doctor had his medical license suspended and lost his hospital privileges. I assume those will be restored. But, how does he get his reputation back?

(photo from Rocky Mountain Diner website)

If you've spent any time in downtown Denver, you've probably eaten at the Rocky Mountain Diner. At 18th and Stout Streets, it's one block from the old federal courthouse and the federal court of appeals, three blocks from the new federal courthouse. The Diner is housed in the historic Ghost Building, designed by architect William Lang in the 1800's for a man name A.M. Ghost.

The seats start filling up at 11:30 am, by noon, there's a wait. The food is terrific and plentiful (lunch menu here, dinner menu here, dessert menu here) and the atmosphere inviting and familial. To call it a Denver institution is not an overstatement. [More...]

Update: I can't imagine two days of this weather.

Temperatures could reach minus 10 degrees before morning, with wind chills as low as 25 below, the weather service said....Tuesday wind chills could dip to minus 35, with the actual lows near minus 20.

National blizzards are on their way, and expected to affect 100 million people. Here in Denver, we're not just getting snow, but arctic cold. We may not even make it up to zero tomorrow. The latest National Weather alert: [More...]

The much-publicized case of Colorado marijuana grower Chris Bartkowicz wrapped up this morning when a federal judge sentenced him to five years in prison.

Bartkowicz came to the attention of the DEA after giving 9News an on camera interview and tour of his residence with the grow. He thought he was in compliance with state law. The DEA raided the house and seized 224 plants, which was more than six plants per the number of patients for whom he was a caregiver.

Bartkowicz had two prior felony convictions and the feds decided to play hardball by filing a notice to enhance his sentence due to the prior convictions. He was facing a mandatory minimum of 60 years and possibly life in prison. [More...]

While the mountains have been inundated with snow, Denver has been dry as a bone. Today, that's changing. The snow began to fall in the metro area about 10:00 a.m. If you want to watch it fall, click the play button above or go to Fox 31 News Live Snow Stick Camera.

Since the snow will continue until tomorrow, along with frigid temperatures, I'm taking a snow day and working from home. For those of you not working, or planning a New Year's Eve at home, here's some suggestions of things to do:[More...]

Bob Braudis, Aspen's (and my) favorite Sheriff reflects on his 24 years of service in an in-depth interview in the Aspen Times. (Great photos from the shoot here.)

Indisputably Pitkin County's most influential and beloved elected official for more than two decades, Braudis' outspokenness — from his positions against the war on drugs to his well-documented friendship with the late author Hunter S. Thompson — made him a giant among what he calls the “free thinkers” of Pitkin County.

For those who have known and appreciated Braudis all these years, there won't be a lot that comes as a surprise. For those who aren't familiar with him, it's a great read and highlights the difference between a law enforcement perspective like Braudis' that's smart on crime from one that is tough on crime (and destined to fail.) Some of the better quotes below: [More...]

If you needed any more evidence that medical marijuana is an industry whose time is now, check out KushCon II, in Denver this weekend. Reportedly, it's the world's largest cannibis conference.

Over 340,000 square feet of the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, December 17-19 will be consumed by KushCon II, the largest star-studded Cannabis Lifestyle convention ever to take place on the planet.

The event sponsored by Kush Magazine and Dailybuds is open to the public of all ages and is family-friendly. There will be no cannabis allowed at the event. The weekend will be packed with entertainment, information, and fun for all that attend. There are over 450 vendors from all over the world as well as local businesses including medical marijuana centers, edible manufacturing companies, plus many vendors selling clothing, smoke-ware and other special cannabis lifestyle gifts that are sure to complete any “Kushmas shopping” wish list.

The panels pack some serious wallop. Both New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and Colorado Rep. Jared Polis will speak. Here's today's schedule. And tomorrow's.

The conference is open to the public, and is "family friendly." There will be no marijuana at the event, so no medical marijuana card or doctor's recommendation is necessary. The event may break prior attendance records, drawing as many as 50,000 people. NORML is streaming the event live online here.

One step forward, two steps back. Colorado's proposed regulations on medical marijuana are 90 pages long. You can read them here.

The rules would govern everything: how state officials regulate marijuana cultivation; how dispensary owners keep track of their sales; what makers of marijuana-infused pastries should put on their labels. Several of the rules would place Colorado in unprecedented territory — for instance, requiring marijuana growers to install security cameras through which state auditors could remotely monitor their crop. Others would take action on areas of long-standing concern, including inventory-control rules designed to prevent medical marijuana from leaking into the black market.

Check out the 5 pages of possible violations. [More...]

The Wall St. Journal reports on new regulations Colorado lawmakers are putting the final touches on, for medical marijuana:

The regulatory system — more rigorous and comprehensive than in any other state — will likely require pot growers to place tags on every plant and train security cameras on their cultivation rooms around the clock.

...Cannabis dispensaries, meanwhile, will likely be required to record high-resolution video of every customer's face and photo identification and then link that footage to a computer record of each purchase. Even the moment when the dried weed is weighed for sale will have to be captured on video, according to draft regulations now being finalized.

Cops can demand to see the tapes at any time, without a warrant.

"We don't ask. We just go look," said Matt Cook, senior director of the state's medical-marijuana enforcement division...."You give up a lot of your Fourth Amendment rights when you're dealing with a controlled substance," Mr. Cook said.

[More...]

The jury in Tom DeLay's Texas money laundering trial deliberated three hours today, and will be back tomorrow:

Dick DeGuerin, DeLay's lead attorney, restated what he had often said throughout the trial: that prosecutors had failed to prove the ex-lawmaker committed a crime and the money swap was legal.

Throughout his closing arguments, DeGuerin repeated one phrase in particular: no corporate money went to candidates in Texas. He even included the sentence — in bold, black letters — in a slide show he presented to jurors.

He also used his partisan politics theme: [More...]