Laura Kriho

Marijuana Q&A with Laura Kriho: "The fight for legalization is nowhere near over"

This week's multi-part cover story about the state of the state of marijuana takes a look at Amendment 64 and how legislators will address implementing the legalization of small amounts of cannabis and the shops that will sell it. Our print edition also features a Q&A with Amendment 64 proponent Mas ... More >>

Marijuana initiatives: Why three alternatives to Amendment 64 didn't make ballot

Last February, when Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, was approved for the November ballot, backers of several other pot-related measures, including Initiative 70, Legalize2012's proposal and the Relief for the Possession of Cannabis Act, were trying to duplicate this feat. But ... More >>

Medical marijuana superstores possible federal targets in Colorado?

U.S. Attorney John Walsh has sent out two waves of closure-threat letters to medical marijuana dispensaries near schools -- and his spokesman reveals that a third wave is coming. But could Walsh's targets in Colorado expand to so-called marijuana superstores, as has taken place in California? His of ... More >>

Marijuana initiative can't force John Suthers to sue feds over enforcement, his office says

In our post yesterday about the progress of Legalize 2012's Cannabis Re-legalization Act, proponent Laura Kriho noted that a section had been added to the proposal directing Colorado Attorney General John Suthers to sue the federal government if it attempts to enforce its marijuana laws here. But AG ... More >>

Legalize 2012 on marijuana initiative, Regulate act's signature shortfall

On Friday, the Secretary of State's Office noted that the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act had fallen 2,409 signatures shy of ballot approval. Given the resources available to the Regulate folks, whose measure will be known as Initiative 30 if the shortfall can be cured in the next week plus, thi ... More >>

Legalize 2012 marijuana re-legalization proposal ready for public comment

Cannabis activist Laura Kriho has a message for medical marijuana business people shaken by seizure letters sent to 23 dispensaries by the U.S. Attorneys Office and worried that centers faced with closure will have nowhere to move: Stop burying your head in the sand and get behind Legalize 2012's pr ... More >>

Marijuana: Legalize 2012 initiative in final drafting stage, to be posted online soon

Laura Kriho.​We've been hearing a lot about the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act of 2012, whose petition passed the 130,000 signature mark last week and could be submitted to the state by year's end according to proponent Mason Tvert. But what about a rival measure, Legalize 2012? Laura Kri ... More >>

Medical marijuana seed-to-sale tracking system already worrying advocates -- but should it?

​In August, the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division awarded a $1.5 million contract to Franwell Inc. to institute a seed-to-sale marijuana tracking method for Colorado MMJ enterprises using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. And while the system isn't expected to be in place ... More >>

Pot Head Ring Pots leave a bad taste for Legalize2012.com's Laura Kriho (VIDEO)

Big pics below.​It's not often Laura Kriho, the driving force behind the Cannabis Therapy Institute and Legalize2012.com, speaks out against something pertaining to marijuana. But there she was, on a Fox station in Colorado Springs, criticizing marijuana-shaped candy marketed under names like ... More >>

THC driving limit: Task Force member says no recommendation wouldn't stop new bill

​Yesterday, the Drug Policy Task Force met to consider THC driving limits. The DUID-marijuana working group studying the subject couldn't agree on a proposal last week, and Task Force member Senator Pat Steadman thinks its inability to do so may prevent THC-driving legislation from being bless ... More >>

Marijuana: Great Legalization Debate II will be about unity, not bickering, says organizer

Laura Kriho.​In June, the first Great Legalization Debate, which was intended to seek common ground on the issue of legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana, deteriorated into a snipe-fest, with Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act proponent Mason Tvert pitted against most of the other participa ... More >>

Proponents of marijuana legalization know that where there's smoke, there's ire

Marijuana legalization debate preview: Meet the advocates who'll be hashing it out

Free me.​It's fitting that Wednesday night's debate between Colorado cannabis activists has been dubbed "Round One." The event is being advertised as a "lively and friendly" debate -- but if it's as impassioned and fiery as the comments on our marijuana blogs have been, it might be closer to ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Board of Health passes new driving rules, caregiver language (PHOTOS)

​Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho raised concern about new regulations to be enacted by the Board of Health at a meeting yesterday. And following the marathon session, she's still worried, especially about what she sees as "a backdoor method to create a new crime: DUI-MM" -- driving un ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Is health board ready to pass THC driving reg like one that died in legislature?

​At 9 a.m., the Board of Health is scheduled to consider a series of new rules pertaining to medical marijuana patients and caregivers -- and the Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho has objections to a lot of them. She's particularly incensed by potential changes in the definition of care ... More >>

Marijuana legalization: Laura Kriho accuses Brian Vicente ballot group of ignoring grassroots

Laura Kriho.​Not every marijuana activist was thrilled by news that Brian Vicente has filed eight pot-legalization initiatives with the state. Indeed, Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho, one of the main figures behind the separate Legalization2012.com group, is unhappy with what she see ... More >>

THC driving limits bill killed by Senate in "huge victory for patients nationwide"

​Senator Morgan Carroll saw the passage of HB 1261, a bill to set THC driving standards, as inevitable despite evidence like medical marijuana critic William Breathes's blood test showing he was nearly triple the proposed 5 nanogram per milliliter of blood standard even when sober. Nonetheless ... More >>

Medical marijuana lobbyists out in force during HB 1043 committee hearing (PHOTOS)

Nancy Spence.​With medical marijuana clean-up bill HB 1043 under scrutiny from U.S. Attorney John Walsh, it's no surprise that the medical marijuana lobbyists were out in force when the measure went before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. Representatives of the Medical Marijuana Indus ... More >>

THC driving bill on hold: William Breathes blood test results a factor, advocate says

Flickr​Yesterday, shortly before a senate committee took on a bill to set THC driving limits, Westword published the results of medical marijuana reviewer William Breathes's blood test, which showed he was almost three times over the proposed standard when sober. The committee subsequently dec ... More >>

Medical marijuana hearing nods to "Drugs are Bad, M'Kay" South Park ep? (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Video below.​Yesterday's judiciary committee hearing about HB 1250, a medical marijuana infused-products bill, took some unexpected twists. The legislation, which initially sought to ban all MMJ edibles, has now evolved into a packaging bill. But in arguing why it's necessary, sponsoring Repre ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Advocates differ about MMJ cleanup bill HB 1043 hearing (PHOTOS)

Big pics below.​Some very different takes on yesterday's judiciary committee hearing on HB 1043, a medical marijuana bill co-sponsored by Representative Tom Massey and Senator Pat Steadman. Jill Lamoureux, who also weighed in on a contentious health department advisory meeting, doesn't think t ... More >>

Medical marijuana HB 1250 bill would outlaw MMJ edibles: Read it here

​At 1:30 p.m. today, the public can comment on HB 1043, a medical marijuana bill described as a cleanup measure of last year's bill by its co-sponsors, Senator Pat Steadman and Representative Tom Massey. But the Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho also plans to address HB 1250, a brand ne ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Board of Health rejects Cannabis Therapy Institute's petition (PICS)

​Update: Yesterday, Colorado's board of health rejected an emergency petition from the Cannabis Therapy Institute, on view below in an item first published yesterday morning. The reason? The board didn't believe the concerns outlined in the petition constituted an emergency. However, the topic ... More >>

Reader: Medical marijuana database's police access should spur dispensary boycott

​Our posts featuring takes on a medical marijuana database proposal from Cannabis Therapy Insistute's Laura Kriho and Coloradans for Medical Marijuana Regulation's Betty Aldworth prompted some lively conversations. Consider this reaction from one reader ready to just say no to MMJ centers.

Medical marijuana database puts patients at risk of federal prosecution, advocate says (VIDEO)

Fern Epstein.​Colorado's Department of Revenue unveiled draft regulations for the medical marijuana industry at a marathon meeting yesterday -- and most concerning for the Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho was a plan to phase out the current MMJ registry and replace it with a database s ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Nearly 2,000 MMJ patient recommendations nixed over quiet rule change

​Over the past week or so, medical marijuana patients across the state have learned that doctor recommendations for the card allowing them to use MMJ have been rejected. Why? A new health department policy that slid into place almost unnoticed -- one that's likely to disenfranchise and anger n ... More >>

Marijuana legalization campaign for 2012 starts tomorrow if Proposition 19 passes or not

​Support for Proposition 19, a California measure to legalize marijuana for adult use, is falling according to a recent poll. But backers of a similar law in Colorado aren't waiting to find out if Prop. 19 passes. They've created a website, Legalize2012.com, and will be formally launching the ... More >>

Medical marijuana fees: AIDS sufferer can't afford license despite new indigent patient rule

Damien LaGoy.​Yesterday, the board of health considered lowering medical marijuana license fees for indigent patients -- and wound up eliminating them for those who qualify. Problem is, the criteria used to determine indigency leaves out many people in need -- including AIDS-patient Damien La ... More >>

Medical marijuana: $90 license fee too high for indigent patients & everyone else, advocate says

Laura Kriho.​Back in August, medical marijuana advocates protested when Governor Bill Ritter proposed using $9 million in MMJ fees to help plug a budget hole. No doubt this topic will rise again at 9:30 a.m. this morning, when a board of health public hearing will address the question of lower ... More >>

Plant Medicine Expo: Medical marijuana event featuring Richard Belzer historic, advocate says

Full-sized photo below.​This weekend's Plant Medicine Expo, featuring a debate moderated by Law & Order Special Victims Unit star Richard Belzer, was a "historic event not only for the state of Colorado, but for the nation and the world," says Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho, a member ... More >>

Medical marijuana: $9M to plug budget hole proof MMJ's getting normalized, says advocate

Matt Brown.​Yesterday, Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho criticized Governor Bill Ritter's proposal to use $9 million in medical marijuana fees to help make up for a budget shortfall. But Coloradans for Medical Marijuana Regulation's Matt Brown, sees the move as evidence medical pot is ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Does using $9 million in fees for budget shortfall screw MMJ patients?

​Although Governor Bill Ritter signed medical marijuana bills earlier this year, he's never been a big fan of the stuff. Still, he hopes to use $9 million in MMJ fees to help fill a $60 million budget hole -- a decision that angers advocates upset by the tremendous backlog of unprocessed licen ... More >>

Medical morning advisory meeting postponed after complaints it was closed to the public

Robert Chase.​Update below: It only took a day for the Department of Revenue to blink. The DOR had planned for this morning's first meeting of its new medical marijuana advisory working group to be closed to the public. But thanks to complaints from two notable MMJ advocates, Cannabis Therapy ... More >>

Medical marijuana residency rules: Activist Laura Kriho asks, Where's the emergency?

Laura Kriho.​The first rule-making hearing of the Department of Revenue's Medical Marijuana Licensing Authority, slated for 10 a.m. this morning, has been deemed an emergency. But why it should be categorized as one puzzles the Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho, who notes that this term ... More >>

Jessica Corry on team of ten medical marijuana attorneys discussing MMJ's future

Jessica Corry will be surrounded by legal eagles tonight.​Aurora City Councilman Bob Broom's comments about that city's efforts to ban medical marijuana dispensaries are sure to be a subject of conversation during a free MMJ panel discussion at the Loews Denver Hotel, 4150 East Mississippi. A ... More >>

Medical marijuana bill enthusiast Matt Brown: "We did it!"

Matt Brown thinks the MMJ jar is more than half full.​Despite its legislative passage yesterday, HB 1284, the bill to regulate the medical marijuana industry, continues to earn mixed reviews. The Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho hates both HB 1284 and the previously approved SB 109, w ... More >>

Medical marijuana bill worse than nothing, says Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho

CTI's Laura Kriho would have voted "no."​As noted in just-published posts, advocate Matt Brown is a fan of HB 1284, the just-passed measure to regulate the medical marijuana industry, while attorney Brian Vicente sees both that bill and SB 109, about the relationship between doctors and MMJ pa ... More >>

Cannabis Therapy Institute to Stan Garnett: Drop cases against 4/20 weed smokers

Will Stan Garnett receive the pro-marijuana vote?​Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett recently announced his intention to challenge John Suthers for the Colorado Attorney General gig -- and his comparatively progressive views on marijuana presumably meant he could count on support from pro- ... More >>

4/20 offer: Visit your legislator and get lei'd -- for free

CTI is handing out these babies at Civic Center today.​The International Cannabis Day festivities that kick off at 9 a.m. this morning at Civic Center Park have a major political component, as stressed in a recent interview with NORML executive director Allen St. Pierre, who'll deliver the eve ... More >>

Pot power players Who's Who in Colorado: The pro-marijuana team

​Keeping track of all the individuals and organizations duking it out on the front lines of the state's medical-marijuana debate is trickier than picking through the med strains at your corner dispensary. To help weed through the chaos, we've created this guide to the state's top marijuana pow ... More >>

Cannabis Therapy Institute calls Senator Chris Romer "wolf in sheep's clothing"

Photo by Robert FisherCTI doesn't think closing half of all dispensaries will help patients.​After Senator Chris Romer announced that he would be withdrawing most of a proposed bill aimed at regulating the medical marijuana industry, the Cannabis Therapy Institute, a prominent pro-marijuana or ... More >>

Did the Boulder City Council accidentally define illegal weed dealers as medical-marijuana businesses?

The Boulder City Council pushed forward emergency rules about medical-marijuana businesses. Wonder how closely they read them.​Update below: Last night, the Boulder City Council considered imposing a temporary moratorium on new medical-marijuana operations -- and while members stopped short o ... More >>

Next big medical-marijuana showdown: Boulder City Council considers moratorium on dispensaries tonight

Photo by Robert FisherNew cases could be closed in Boulder depending on a city council meeting tonight.​Earlier today, Judge Larry Naves gave medical-marijuana boosters a big win by voiding the Board of Health's decision to change a definition of caregiver put into place in July. But advocates ... More >>

Medical-marijuana advocates fight Mexican drug cartel reports with the Always Buy Colorado Cannabis pledge

Coming to a medical-marijuana dispensary near you?​Opponents of medical-marijuana laws like Colorado Attorney General John Suthers are increasingly playing the crime card -- implying that the proliferation of dispensaries in Colorado is fueling illegal and increasingly dangerous behavior (with ... More >>

Come Up to Denver: Crosby, Stills & Nash

Won't You Please Come From Chicago?

Protesters stay in tune for the DNC.

Juris Prudence

DA Dave Thomas surrenders the case against wayward juror Laura Kriho.

Letters

Letters

Beyond Contempt

A judge and a prosecutor in Gilpin County are after a new breed of criminals: jurors and defense attorneys.