Half a billion in weed revenue for Colorado coffers, landmark marijuana sales in Uruguay, DOJ forfeiture plans, a driver's shocking THC blood test & more

July 19: Half a billion in weed revenue for Colorado coffers, landmark marijuana sales in Uruguay, DOJ forfeiture plans, a driver's shocking THC blood test & 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.]( [‘Major milestone’: Colorado hits half a billion in cannabis tax revenue]( Marijuana advocates are trumpeting a Colorado milestone: More than $500 million in revenue for the state since recreational cannabis sales started in 2014. [Through May 2017,]( Colorado marijuana shops have sold upward of $3.6 billion of medical and recreational cannabis flower, edibles and concentrates, according to The Cannabist’s calculations of state tax data. [Jeff Sessions wants police to seize more cash from Americans]( The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that it will be restarting a federal asset forfeiture program that gives police departments greater leeway to seize property of those suspected of a crime, even if they're never charged with or convicted of one. In the 12 months before former Attorney General Eric Holder shut down the program in 2015, state and local authorities took in $65 million that they shared with federal agencies. [Marijuana dispensaries decrease crime, not increase it, study finds]( Conventional wisdom says marijuana dispensaries make neighborhoods less safe, but a new study from UC Irvine suggests the conventional wisdom is wrong and that crime increases after cities move to close pot shops. "Given all the pretty strong rhetoric about dispensaries generating or at least attracting crime, it was not the result we expected," said Mireille Jacobson, a health economics professor at UCI. A world first [Recreational marijuana sales begin at Uruguay's pharmacies]( Marijuana aficionados lined up at pharmacies across Uruguay on Wednesday to legally buy cannabis as a national law took full effect. “Uruguay is at the forefront of the world on this,” said one customer who braved freezing temperatures in the capital, Montevideo, as he waited in line to buy government-regulated cannabis priced at the equivalent of $1.30 per gram. Quote of the Day “We’ve talked to people directly and they’re concerned with coming out.” [— Massachusetts cannabis advocate Glenn Wiech,]( who said some Milford residents who support marijuana sales in the town are afraid to voice their support for the cause publicly because of fear of being stigmatized or punished by employers or other organizations. Numerology 54 That's the [number of times higher than the legal limit of THC]( a Washington man had in his system, according to police."That number is not normal," said Brianna Peterson, lab manager at the Washington State Patrol toxicology lab. "It's not something we typically see." Regional News [It's official: New Hampshire gov signs bill to decriminalize marijuana possession]( Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has signed a bill that reduces the penalty for possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil violation punishable by a $100 fine for a first offense. [Much-contested bill on Massachusetts marijuana regs finally OK’d by legislature]( Massachusetts lawmakers signed off Wednesday on a compromise bill that makes changes to the voter-approved law that legalized adult use of recreational marijuana and expressed confidence the revamped measure could withstand any legal challenge. [Oklahoma DA protests ruling to return pipes and papers to head shop]( District Attorney Greg Mashburn asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court to order Special Judge Steve Stice to decide whether confiscated items, including glass pipes and rolling papers, are drug paraphernalia whose return is prohibited. [Does branded marijuana merch attract teens? This California bill sponsor thinks so]( A bill making its way through the California Legislature would prohibit marijuana businesses from using branded merchandise as a form of advertising. The bill seeks to reduce teenage use of marijuana. On top of the thousands of dollars invested to become permitted in the newly regulated market, some businesses see the bill adding on to [a laundry list of burdens being placed on the industry](. [Illinois hemp bill could increase access to medical marijuana products]( The pending legislation could help medical marijuana growers increase their relatively small pool of 25,000 certified users to the general public. Advocates of the bill said it could also address a lack of regulation of hemp by subjecting the cannabis plant to the same testing for potency and pesticides as medical marijuana in Illinois. More Regional Headlines + [Connecticut Supreme Court: Landlord's permission not needed for marijuana search]( + [South Dakota medical marijuana advocate running for Congress]( + [Reward jumps to $55,000 for robbers who killed veteran guarding Colorado pot dispensary]( + [Competitive grants for Colorado marijuana tax funding mean some schools miss out]( #AllThingsWeed [Budtending 101: Do you need a license or certificate to be a weed salesperson?]( Most “cannabis experts” behind the counter at dispensaries are self-taught marijuana connoisseurs with a passion for pot. However, just because you don’t necessarily need a certification to be a budtender doesn’t mean that completing a training program wouldn’t be helpful to your prospects for landing a budtending job. More Weed Reads + [Sky News UK: Labour MP urges people to smoke cannabis at Parliament]( + [Toronto Star: Canada’s premiers discuss delaying the legalization of marijuana]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 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