Nov. 29: Sessions has Cole Memo on his mind, Congress members put pressure on leadership over MMJ, Rick Steves pushes for legalization in Illinois & more

Nov. 29: Sessions has Cole Memo on his mind, Congress members put pressure on leadership over MMJ, Rick Steves pushes for legalization in Illinois & more Cannabist]( [thecannabist.co]( | [@cannabist]( | [fb/cannabist]( If someone forwarded this to you and you'd like to sign up yourself, just go here: [(. To view this on the web or share a link, [click here.]( [66 Congress members make plea to extend protection for medical marijuana states]( With the current federal appropriations bill set to expire Dec. 8, there’s a new bipartisan call for continuing protection of medical marijuana states from the Justice Department. Two congressmen behind a namesake provision for medical cannabis, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, on Wednesday sent a letter co-signed by 64 of their peers to House and Senate leadership. [Sessions says DOJ just talked “at some length” about marijuana enforcement]( Even as the U.S. Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration make major moves to stem the opioid crisis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has marijuana enforcement on his mind. During a press conference Wednesday announcing new grants and DEA deployments designed to address opioid trafficking, Sessions revealed that his DOJ discussed federal marijuana enforcement policies the day prior. [Incoming N.J. Gov. Murphy names head of cannabis trade group as chief of staff]( Governor-elect Phil Murphy has named Pete Cammarano, who founded the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association, as his chief of staff, and a new association for marijuana retailers has formed. Murphy vowed during his campaign to legalize the drug, and the growing industry is counting on him to quickly make good on the pledge. [alt_text]( Cannabiz [Tech firms MassRoots, New Frontier team up on consumer data]( The next move for Denver's MassRoots Inc. is a data play. MassRoots, the marijuana social media and tech company [recently in tumult](, has entered into a technology-sharing arrangement with New Frontier Data, a cannabis market research and analytics firm. [MJ Freeway discloses another cyberattack on the firm, affecting cannabis businesses]( MJ Freeway has disclosed it was the target of another cyberattack; one that took place about a year ago. The Denver-based company, which also provides tracking software for a number of state regulatory systems in addition to approximately 1,000 cannabis retailers across the U.S., has been dealing with a string of [hacks, system outages and other disruptions]( over the past several months. Quote of the Day “I just feel this huge push and pull between, well, it's harmful if there's so many in this one area but at the same time, they're not going to harm kids or youth.” [— San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Katy Tang,]( who put forward a proposal to keep pot shops 1,000 feet away from schools. Her provision was rejected in favor of a smaller buffer. Numerology 60 That's the [number of days Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb is giving stores to pull CBD oil from their shelves,]( before state excise police resume checking for products. Regional News [Travel host Rick Steves testifies in favor of Illinois marijuana legalization effort]( Rick Steves, host of the PBS travel documentary series "Rick Steves’ Europe," testified Tuesday in front of Illinois lawmakers that his “hunches” about the long-term effects of legalization in early-adopter states like Colorado and Washington have proven true. “When you legalize marijuana, use does not go up,” Steves said. “Crime does not go up. What goes up is tax revenue, and what goes down is the black market.” Some Colorado officials were also on hand to talk legalization. [Marylanders are (finally) days away from being able to legally buy medical marijuana]( The first cannabis dispensaries are set to open in Maryland, nearly five years after state lawmakers legalized marijuana for medical use. Get details on the rollout. More Regional Headlines + [Lawyer banned from N.Y. jails after trying to smuggle weed to client]( + [Colorado politician takes on Gov. Hickenlooper over marijuana]( + [San Francisco OKs rules for recreational pot shops, with tentative date for first sales]( + [Minnesota has just two providers for medical cannabis. Now one is turning away patients.]( + [Supporters turn in draft petition to legalize recreational marijuana in another Midwest state]( #AllThingsWeed [Fired bus driver blames delayed effect of cannabis cookie for DUI arrest]( A former Aspen-area transit driver who was taken off his bus last winter after supervisors suspected he was inebriated said Tuesday in court he did not consume alcohol before transporting bus passengers that night. But his lawyer said the man had eaten a marijuana cookie the night before and was likely still experiencing it. [Cannabist 2017 Holiday Gift Guide for gamers]( Give high scores this holiday season with these weed gifts for game enthusiasts, including a handy controller roach clip, Mario Bros stash jars, and some games best experienced stoned. + [Check out the full gift guide compendium]( You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up at The Denver Post. Please add "members@mail.denverpost.com" and "members@direct.denverpost.com" to your trusted senders list. To unsubscribe from this mailing, [click here.]( To change your e-mail preferences, [click here](. To view this newsletter on the web [click here.]( The Denver Post 101 West Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80202