Denver’s process for auditing marijuana businesses is inadequate and has potentially cost the city countless tax dollars allocated for public service programs, the city auditor alleged Thursday. In a scathing new report, Denver auditor and certified public accountant Timothy M. O’Brien evaluated the city’s methods, strategies and standards for... Read more
Denver marijuana businesses have seen an increase in burglaries during the coronavirus pandemic as the cannabis industry continues to see an uptick in crime in the city, according to police. Allowed to continue operations as essential businesses, dispensaries and cultivations reported 10 burglaries in the first two weeks of... Read more
Colorado’s cannabis industry is allowed to remain open to provide “critical” services during the coronavirus pandemic, but because marijuana is a federally controlled substance, dispensaries and other businesses are ineligible to receive stimulus funds to help offset the economic impacts caused by COVID-19. Many say they’re struggling. Gov. Jared... Read more
As the coronavirus fueled changes in regulation for Colorado’s cannabis industry, leaders at LivWell Enlightened Health knew they needed to make dramatic moves to keep the business and its workers thriving. And fast. On March 30, 18 company executives and department heads agreed to suspend their compensation for three... Read more
As the coronavirus pandemic disrupts daily life and commerce in Colorado, many in the state’s marijuana industry believe it makes the case for allowing dispensaries to begin delivering to customers’ homes now. Legislators legalized cannabis delivery with the passage of House Bill 1234 in 2019. The law permits medical marijuana... Read more
When Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced recreational marijuana shops would be forced to close under the city’s stay-at-home order Monday, the response from customers was swift. They swarmed local dispensaries to stock up on products and caused enough of a stir that the mayor rescinded the moratorium just three... Read more
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis deemed marijuana dispensaries “critical” retail businesses in an executive order Sunday urging employers to reduce their in-person workforces, meaning they would stay open if other industries were forced to shutter to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. The governor’s order, however, will change how dispensaries do... Read more
A Denver-based edibles manufacturer is being scooped up by a multi-state marijuana company in one of the year’s first local business acquisitions. Courtesy Blue KuduCannabis giant Curaleaf is set to acquire BlueKudu, the Denver-based maker of edible marijuana products, including these infused gummies Cannabis giant Curaleaf is set to... Read more
Meeting with the enemy demonstrates hypocrisy This past weekend, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., secretly met with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. Murphy justified this meeting by saying, “I think it’s dangerous to not talk to your enemies. Discussions and negotiations are a way to ease tensions and reduce the... Read more
Last year was the most lucrative 12 months for cannabis sales in Colorado since the state’s voters legalized recreational marijuana. Medical and recreational cannabis sales hit a record $1.75 billion in 2019, up 13% from 2018, according to data from the Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division. Marijuana tax... Read more
