U.S. marijuana market could hit $24B by 2025, a sanctuary weed state(?), Aspen pot clubs, clemency denial and more

Feb. 22: U.S. marijuana market could hit $24B by 2025, a sanctuary weed state(?), Aspen pot clubs, clemency denial and more The Cannabist]( [thecannabist.co]( | [@cannabist]( | [fb/cannabist]( [Report: America’s marijuana industry headed for $24 billion by 2025]( The latest gaze into the crystal ball puts the U.S. marijuana industry north of $24 billion by 2025. New Frontier Data, a cannabis market research and analytics firm, gave The Cannabist a first look at its 2017 annual report. By mapping out state-by-state sales to $24.5 billion in 2025 and projecting that cannabis industry employment could top 255,000 jobs within three years, New Frontier hopes to show that cannabis is not “just a flash in the pan,” said John Kagia, the firm’s executive vice president of industry analytics. “It’s very hard to look at both the numbers and associated economic dynamics and envision that this genie could be put back in the bottle,” he said. [California vs. Trump: Bill would create sanctuary state for marijuana]( If the Trump administration decides to crack down on state marijuana programs, a group of legislators wants to make it illegal for California authorities to help them. A new bill would prevent state and local agencies from using their resources to help federal authorities go after marijuana consumers or businesses who are following California law unless the feds have a court order signed by a judge. The goal is to protect the state’s 20-year-old medical marijuana program and its three-month-old law on recreational marijuana. [Oregon marijuana tax revenue is crushing original estimates]( The marijuana business in Oregon is becoming a bonanza for the state. The Oregon Department of Revenue announced Tuesday it received $5.3 million in marijuana tax payments in January. The grand total of $65.4 million received in the year since Oregon started taxing pot sales is blowing the original estimate out of the water. In January 2016, the state started collecting a 25-percent tax from medical marijuana dispensaries’ recreational sales. A year later, recreational pot shops — which first opened in Oregon five months ago — began charging a 17 percent tax. [Is federal Drug Control Policy office on the chopping block in fed budget?]( Moving to cut domestic spending, Donald Trump may be turning to an unlikely candidate to achieve savings: The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Reports say that the drug control office may be among several organizations targeted for elimination. The Office of National Drug Control Policy coordinates federal efforts to reduce drug use and drug trafficking. The director, often called the “drug czar,” is the president’s point person on national drug policy. [In sharp shift of political winds, Indiana House unanimously passes CBD bill]( People who have epilepsy could be treated with a marijuana-derived oil under a bill approved by the Indiana House. The bill passed the chamber on a 98-0 vote. The state Senate previously approved a similar measure. Indiana’s legislature has long resisted efforts to allow the use of medicine derived from marijuana, but that appears to have changed this year. Supporters say the bill’s approval marks a significant shift after years of medical marijuana-related bills stalling. Sponsored Content [ATTEND: INTERNATIONAL CANNA PRO CONFERENCE & EXPO IN PHILADELPHIA, JUNE 24-25]( Participate in the premier Medical Cannabis Conference & Expo. You will receive credible content from experts and experienced leaders in the industry. CME/CNE/CLE offered. Prices increase March 31. [Register Now!]( ['America is full of hypocrites': Man serving life for marijuana speaks out]( Days after John Knock learned that his application for clemency had been denied - meaning he would have to continue serving out two life sentences plus 20 years for a non-violent cannabis offense - he found himself transfixed by a story on NPR. "There was (someone on the radio) talking about how they're going to handle the marijuana distribution stores in Pennsylvania, and here I am doing a life sentence for marijuana," Knock said from the federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania where he currently resides. [Is Kansas next to legalize medical marijuana?]( Kansas lawmakers are considering legalizing medical marijuana for certain medical conditions. The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee heard the bill this week. If it passes, Kansas would join 28 other states that have some type of medical marijuana program. Supporters say medical marijuana could help patients who have exhausted available options. Melissa Ragsdale, whose 7-year-old son suffers from seizures, told the committee industrial hemp cannabidiol helped her son but it only stops certain seizures and that broader access could help. [North Dakota Senate committee approves medical marijuana regs, including ban on patient home grows]( Five out of every 1,000 North Dakotans are expected to use medical marijuana when it’s available in the state, a threshold needed to fund planned oversight of the program, the state Health Department told lawmakers this week. Deputy State Health Officer Arvy Smith said the state does not expect any revenue from medical marijuana this year while the program is being established. The agency expects the program to be funded by user fees after that, she said. The Senate Appropriations Committee, which helps to craft the state budget, voted to approve a little more than $1 million to oversee the medical marijuana program over the next two years. The program is expected to raise $1.3 million during the 2017-19 budget cycle that begins on July 1. [The Netherlands, famous for weed sales, is still working on legalizing cultivation]( Dutch lawmakers have voted in favor of tolerating the cultivation of cannabis, a move that could bring to an end a key paradox of the relaxed Dutch policy on marijuana and hashish. Buying small amounts of pot at so-called coffee shops has long been tolerated in the Netherlands, but cultivating and selling the drug to the coffee shops themselves has remained illegal. [Aspen may be open to marijuana clubs after all]( Aspen city leaders could give private pot clubs another whiff of consideration, but they first want to see how regulations are addressed by Denver and the state of Colorado. “I’m open to having the conversation,” Mayor Steve Skadron said this week, noting he is watching the state capital to see if it creates any regulatory model for private cannabis clubs that Aspen could mimic. “I know Denver is making some progress on bring-your-own pot clubs, and perhaps that could weigh into our conversation.” [California cannabis businesses prepare to promote themselves in recreational era]( Along with the state and law enforcement community, the vibrant California business community built by and around marijuana growers and product-makers is also trying to quickly figure out how to cash in on what experts presume will be a bonanza of opportunity. A pot-focused soirée of sorts was held recently to help foster the growth of the legal marijuana business. The evening was billed in part as a tribute to Montel Williams, the former daytime talk show host and advocate for recreational marijuana. Held at a ballroom in downtown Los Angeles, the event included a VIP section where marijuana enthusiasts could sip weed-infused wine and nibble on sushi. The array of products on display were curious, indeed. [Montana Senate agrees to fix medical marijuana law, two months after judge re-opened dispensaries]( The Montana Senate has endorsed a watered-down rebuke of the state’s court system for allegedly overstepping its powers. The bill fixes a mistake in a voter-approved medical marijuana initiative to make it effective immediately. The original bill accused a Helena judge of violating the state constitution when he did the same thing by court order late last year. The bill did not name District Judge James Reynolds, but House of Representatives changed the language to eliminate any reference to him. The measure now says the constitution’s separation of powers provisions “were disregarded.” [Hair drug testing: Useful information for marijuana consumers]( We recently received two questions from readers wondering about the same thing: hair drug testing. To brush up on our hair samples and drug testing knowledge, we asked an expert with Quest Diagnostics, one of the larger drug-testing companies in the United States, for details on how hair drug tests work. We found out how long pot use generally shows up in a hair sample, and individual variables that could affect this number. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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