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Meet Kristi Kelly, the Face of Colorado’s Marijuana Industry

By Michael RobertsMarch 30, 2018

In July 2016, the Marijuana Industry Group, among the most powerful cannabis business organizations in Colorado and the country as a whole, seemed on the verge of collapse after the mysterious departure of Michael Elliott, its executive director. Less than two years later, MIG is back to being a powerhouse advocate for marijuana enterprises in the state, and much of the credit goes to current executive director Kristi Kelly, who’s helped change the tone of an outfit that was once vilified by boutique shops in the state.

Inside Denver’s Big Bucks Settlement Mania With Man Who Got $660K

By Michael RobertsMarch 29, 2018

The controversy over Denver Mayor Michael Hancock sending inappropriate texts to police detective Leslie-Branch Wise has led to increased scrutiny on settlements made by the city; Branch-Wise was given $75,000 in 2013 after she made complaints about the behavior of Wayne McDonald, who received $200,000 in 2016 following a lawsuit over his firing by Hancock, his ex-friend. Among those asking questions about such payouts is Stuart Shapiro, a former assistant city attorney and recipient of his own $660,000 settlement from Denver in 2016 over alleged retaliation against him in the wake of a jail-abuse case that cost taxpayers $3.25 million.

Lies, Punishment and the Case of the Pencil “Attack” at Denver’s Main Jail

By Michael RobertsMarch 29, 2018

The tension between the Office of the Independent Monitor and the Denver Department of Public Safety at the center of a recent special report about the in-custody death of Michael Marshall is vividly illustrated by an incident captured on jailhouse video seen here. The former considers the clip evidence that a deputy blatantly lied on a report in which he accused an inmate who wanted to issue a complaint against him of taking part in an attack with a pencil. The latter thinks it’s possible the deputy innocently misperceived what happened and therefore didn’t deserve punishment as harsh as the monitor believes justified.

Why Phil Anschutz Might Rather Watch the Denver Post Die Than Try to Save It

By Michael RobertsMarch 29, 2018

After the Denver Post announced that it would be laying off thirty people, or around 30 percent of the newsroom staff, the Denver Newspaper Guild, which represents 25 of those getting pink slips, put out an open call for a wealthy benefactor to buy the publication from Alden Global Capital, the hedge fund that’s been stripping it down like a stolen car for years. Billionaire Phil Anschutz seems to fit this bill, and he has a notable interest in newspapers, having purchased the Colorado Springs Gazette in 2012. But a story shared by Denver City Councilman Kevin Flynn suggests that Anschutz may prefer to let the Post die in order to replace it with a resurrected version of the Rocky Mountain News, which was shuttered in February 2009.

Denver City Council Doesn’t Seem That Into Michael Hancock Investigation

By Michael RobertsMarch 28, 2018

Last night, March 27, the Denver City Council met in executive session to discuss the possibility of launching an investigation into inappropriate texts sent by Mayor Michael Hancock to Detective Leslie Branch-Wise during the 2011-2012 period when she was on his security detail. But the members emerged without making any commitment to such an inquiry despite another letter from Branch-Wise’s attorney (it’s shared below) urging them to take action.

“Kratom Ruined My Life,” User Says

By Michael RobertsMarch 28, 2018

After Denver banned kratom for human consumption last November, advocates, including the communications director for the Libertarian Party of Colorado, spoke out on behalf of the herbal substance, calling it an effective pain reliever that can be substituted for much more dangerous opioids. But one Denver-area resident who spoke at length to Westword warns that kratom isn’t always benign, especially for people, like him, with addictive personalities. In his words, “Kratom ruined my life.”

Colorado Could Again Become “Hate State” If Anti-LGBTQ Bill Passes

By Nora OlabiMarch 27, 2018

Nearly two months since Republicans at the Capitol voted to defund the state’s civil rights agency, they are taking another jab at the LGBTQ community with a bill that would give religious institutions and individuals with “moral convictions” and “sincerely held religious beliefs” the ability to deny a wide range of services, including everything from denying transgender people access to restrooms corresponding with their gender identity, denying marriage-related services to same-sex couple to the denial of foster care and adoption services by religious organizations.

Three Ways to Kill the Death Penalty in Colorado

By Michael RobertsMarch 27, 2018

The Colorado Supreme Court recently upheld a lower court’s decision to reverse David Bueno’s first-degree-murder conviction because evidence that might have helped him was withheld in his death-penalty case. Michael Radelet, a University of Colorado Boulder sociology professor and author of The History of the Death Penalty in Colorado, the definitive work on its subject, sees the Bueno case as a particularly compelling argument in favor of ending capital punishment in the state once and for all, and he sees multiple possibilities for how it might finally happen.

Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Fever Hits Colorado’s Luxury-Home Market

By Michael RobertsMarch 27, 2018

Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency are ultra-trendy among investors, speculators and others who dream of making a quick fortune. But they’re also becoming increasingly mainstream, especially among the super-rich, as illustrated by what appears to be a first for the luxury home market in Aspen. One seller with a spectacular property in the exclusive Starwood development has announced that interested buyers can pay for it using this form of exchange, a digital asset that’s secured using cryptography.