Home delivery of marijuana in Colorado, Houston decriminalizes, congressional Cannabis Caucus ready to roll, protecting legal users from workplace drug testing and more

Feb. 17: Home delivery of marijuana in Colorado, Houston decriminalizes, congressional Cannabis Caucus ready to roll, protecting legal users from workplace drug testing and more The Cannabist]( [thecannabist.co]( | [@cannabist]( | [fb/cannabist]( [Marijuana delivery to your home could be reality under new Colorado legislation]( Pizza, prescriptions, Prime … pot? A bill introduced this week in the Colorado Senate would open the door for home-delivered recreational and medical marijuana in the state. Senate Bill 192 would allow for medical marijuana dispensaries and recreational pot shops to apply for a license to deliver marijuana products to the private residences of Colorado adults or qualifying medical marijuana patients. The legislation is modeled after Oregon’s newly launched marijuana home delivery regulations. [Houston area decriminalizes possession of small amounts of weed]( The district attorney in the most populous Texas county has announced a new program in which law enforcement agencies will not arrest individuals caught with four ounces or less of marijuana. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced in Houston that starting March 1 her office will offer those possessing misdemeanor amounts of marijuana an opportunity to participate in a new program to avoid a criminal record. [Cannabis Caucus ready to roll in Congress]( Marijuana now has its own official club in Congress, thanks to Colorado congressman Jared Polis and three of his colleagues. The Boulder lawmaker joined with fellow Democrat Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, as well as Republicans Dana Rohrabacher of California and Don Young of Alaska, in launching the Cannabis Caucus. “We’re really at the tipping point on marijuana reform,” said Polis, who highlighted the growing number of states that have legalized for various uses. [South Dakota hemp bill advances despite Public Safety warning that hemp sends “mixed messages” to kids]( South Dakota residents who pass background checks and get a license from the state agriculture department would be allowed to cultivate industrial hemp under a measure approved by a House panel. The Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted 9-2 to approve the plan, which now heads to the full chamber for consideration. Jenna Howell, a lobbyist for the Department of Public Safety, said that having hemp plants legally grow in South Dakota would send mixed messages to youth who officials are trying to warn about the dangers of illegal drugs. [Texas Marijuana Lobby Day has ballooned in size — and potentially influence]( On a recent Wednesday morning at the Texas State Capitol, two conference rooms filled in with people who were very excited to advocate for marijuana. The crowd on hand for Marijuana Lobby Day included patients, doctors, lawyers and dozens of random marijuana-loving citizens from all over Texas. Much of the crowd was Republican. An organization called RAMP, Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition, had brought an entire bus to Austin. Only 25 people showed up for the first Texas Marijuana Lobby Day, in 2011. This year, 375 people came out. Sponsored Content [WHERE THE COOL KIDS ARE: AT RED BULL SOUND SELECT ON FRIDAY, FEB. 17]( Chicago duo The Cool Kids play Denver's Summit Music Hall tonight with River Tiber and The Reminders. [RSVP here]( for $5 entry. Curated by Souls in Action, this show is first come, first served. [Workplace drug testing: How to protect legal cannabis consumers?]( In California and most other states where marijuana is legal, employers can still fire workers who test positive for cannabis – even if there’s no evidence they were ever high on the job. Marijuana rights advocates in four states want to change that, with a national campaign aimed at making sure responsible cannabis consumers are treated the same as employees who enjoy a cocktail at the end of the day. The coalition seeks to protect cannabis consumers from being fired or not hired due to what they see as a flawed drug testing system. [Colorado considers social use pot clubs, despite qualms about feds]( Colorado officials from both parties have come around to the idea of Amsterdam-style pot clubs for a simple reason: Everyone is tired of seeing pot smokers on public sidewalks. “It’s a problem we’ve got to address,” said state Sen. Chris Holbert, a suburban Denver Republican who opposed marijuana legalization but doesn’t like seeing its use on the sidewalk, either. Pointing jokingly to his suit and tie, the gray-haired Holbert said he’s even had panhandlers ask him for marijuana near the state Capitol. “I mean, look at me. If I’m getting hassled, everyone’s getting hassled,” Holbert told reporters. [Nightclub & Bar Show in Vegas to feature panel on cannabis]( Cannabis will get some time in the Vegas spotlight next month. “Monetizing Cannabis” will be a featured panel discussion at the 2017 Nightclub & Bar Show, running March 27-29 in Las Vegas. “There’s cannabis tourism, but not cannabis hospitality,” panelist Freddie Wyatt tells The Cannabist in an exclusive interview. “We’re at the brink of hospitality being integrated into the cannabis industry.” [Marijuana businesses could add up to $5 million per year to Alaskan peninsula's economy]( With several marijuana businesses up and running on the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska, industry estimates show the businesses could contribute $5.3 million annually to the local economy. Eight marijuana businesses have opened on the peninsula since last summer and nine more are planned. [Smell of weed in Denver leads feds to big bust of Nebraska marijuana network]( An investigation of an alleged interstate crime network all started with an anonymous tip about a pungent odor emanating from a rental home in Westminster. It was May 2016, harvest time for a lucrative Nebraska-based illegal marijuana network with five pot grow houses and warehouses in Westminster, Dacono, Broomfield and Thornton. A person at one of the houses told authorities that the pot found throughout the house weighing 278 pounds was solely for personal use. [Wyoming medical marijuana ballot effort fails again to get sufficient signatures]( A group working to legalize medical marijuana in Wyoming has failed a second time to gather enough signatures to put the question on the statewide ballot. The Wyoming Secretary of State's Office says the Wyoming chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws did not meet the deadline to collect the 25,673 signatures needed to get the measure on the 2018 general election ballot. [New Mexico GOP calls out House Speaker for failing to disclose cannabis ties]( The Republican Party of New Mexico criticized the Democratic leader of the state House of Representatives for not disclosing his work as an attorney for a licensed marijuana producer as the Legislature considers several cannabis-related bills. State GOP spokesman Tucker Keene said House Speaker Brian Egolf of Santa Fe failed to mention on a state financial disclosure statement that he represented a marijuana producer in a lawsuit against the state. Egolf says he complied with disclosure requirements by listing each state agency before which he has represented a client, and that he sees no conflict. [Cannabist Show: He innovated live resin; He created the Duby social network]( You survived the week. Treat yourself by sitting back and enjoying the latest episode of The Cannabist Show. This week’s guests are concentrates innovator Kind Bill and Alec Rochford, the CEO of Duby. Hot topics include navigating the legal weed world with remnants of the black market on your record; the soaring interest in oils and concentrates; and weed on social media. Reminder: The show is also available as a podcast to take with you on the go. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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