April 10: Congress members team up for MMJ, Colorado home-growing changes, Sessions' right-hand man talks crime, R.I.'s legalization ambitions, weed gifts in Maine & more

April 10: Congress members team up for MMJ, Colorado home-growing changes, Sessions' right-hand man talks crime, R.I.'s legalization ambitions, weed gifts in Maine & more The 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.]( [( [44 in Congress support effort to keep DOJ handcuffed in medical cannabis states]( A bipartisan collection of nearly four-dozen U.S. House members want the feds to maintain their fiscally imposed hands-off enforcement position toward states that have legalized medical marijuana. California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has spearheaded spending bill amendments that prevent the Justice Department from meddling in medical marijuana states. In an open letter, the Republican has secured support from 43 other Congress members for a similar amendment in the fiscal year 2018 spending bill. Quote of the Day “The federal criminal justice system simply is not broken. In fact, it’s working exactly as designed.” [-Steven Cook](, who's in the inner circle at the DOJ [Sessions' right-hand man, Steven Cook, thinks Holder DOJ was "soft on crime"]( When the Obama administration launched a sweeping policy to reduce harsh prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, rave reviews came from across the political spectrum. But there was one person who watched these developments with some horror. Steven Cook, a former street cop who became a federal prosecutor in Tennessee, saw nothing wrong with how the system worked - not the life sentences for drug charges, not the huge [growth of the prison population](. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has appointed Cook to be one of his top lieutenants to help undo the criminal justice policies of Obama and former AG Eric Holder Jr. Lifestyle [So how do you get marijuana through TSA when traveling?]( Cannabis users had a brief moment of euphoria this past week after the Transportation Security Administration seemed to give a green light to air travelers to pack medical marijuana in checked or carry-on luggage. But in a few hours, the TSA's website went from green to red. So how do people fly (on an airplane) with marijuana that had been legally purchased in some states? Here to help is Joel Milton, chief executive of a Denver-based software company. Numerology 0 [That's the number of marijuana plants that a Colorado adult could legally grow]( for another adult after legislation targeting the gray market was passed to outlaw cultivation co-ops. The state Senate unanimously approved a bill ([HB17-1221]() making it a crime for people to cultivate recreational pot for other people, sending the bill to the governor's desk. Law enforcement and state lawmakers [attribute the state's nagging black-market problem in part to weak restrictions on who can grow pot](. Regional News [Rhode Island wants to "beat Massachusetts to the punch" on marijuana sales]( Rhode Island state legislators hoping to legalize recreational marijuana say they have enough support to pass a bill if it comes to a vote this spring in the Democrat-controlled General Assembly. Democratic Rep. Scott Slater said taking action this year would allow the state to have regulations and a new source of tax revenue in place before retail marijuana stores open over the border in Massachusetts. He also said "flipping the switch" to allow recreational use wouldn't be hard, given changes made to medical marijuana regulations. [Weed workers in Oregon face car loan and mortgage denials]( Marijuana may be legal in Oregon, but it's still [criminalized under federal law](. That means most banks, which are federally regulated, shun marijuana businesses as too risky. But even the employees of marijuana growers, processors, wholesalers and retailers face obstacles when they apply for car loans, home mortgages and other consumer financing. Credit unions, including Selco Community Credit Union and locally based Mid Oregon Credit Union, have no problem lending to workers with paychecks from marijuana businesses, but many large banks, including Bank of America and Wells Fargo, will not. #AllThingsWeed [Maine shops offer weed 'gifts' while waiting for state to work out sales]( A Maine business owner hoping to start selling recreational marijuana next year is giving his products away for free for now. The Biddeford-based Cannabis Shack is accepting donations for shipping and handling while waiting for the state to issue retail licenses. It's legal to accept free gifts of pot and some say [the limbo before the opening of retail store](s is pushing otherwise law-abiding citizens into an underground market. [Vape pens: A peek inside these modern marvels]( Curious about how marijuana concentrates are vaporized? From our archives, here’s an illustrated breakdown of how vape pens work. 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