How Colorado is addressing marijuana-related priorities

By Alicia Wallace, The Cannabist Staff

Colorado was the last of the four legal marijuana states to reply to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ July 24 letters questioning each state’s respective regulatory regimes, however the response from the state that served as a trailblazer of recreational cannabis was the most comprehensive.

Below is a snapshot of actions the state has taken in four marijuana-related priorities, as outlined in Gov. John Hickenlooper and Attorney General Cynthia Coffman’s Aug. 24 letter to Sessions.

Diversion of marijuana: Colorado implemented inventory control and enforcement mechanisms such as a seed-to-sale tracking system; however, the primary source of marijuana flowing out of state has been “abusive residential marijuana cultivation activities that take place under the guise of lawful medical marijuana production.”

To combat this, the state in partnership with federal agencies is cracking down on illegal marijuana rings; lowering plant counts and increasing state funding to enhance…