Posted on June 21, 2016 - 8:41 pm

Extended Marijuana Dispensary Hours on the Horizon in Durango!

Marijuana may be much more available in Durango, Colorado, if all goes as proposed.

On June 14, 2016, the Durango city council discussed the possibility of extending Durango medical and recreational marijuana dispensary operating hours to midnight.

Currently, a Durango ordinance, as well as the Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) rules, state that dispensaries can operate only between 8 am and 8 pm, though the Colorado state regulations allows marijuana dispensaries to stay open until midnight.

In an effort to raise more tax dollars and compete with the black market, the Durango city staff is proposing this LUDC amendment to the Planning Commission on June 27, 2016 and to the City Council on July 19, 2016. If the new ordinance passes, the change will take effect August 31, 2016.

To see the full agenda for the meeting, click here.

Additional Source: http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20160614/NEWS01/160619777/Marijuana-shops-could-have-extended-hours

California Recreational Marijuana Initiative on the Verge

Posted on June 11, 2016 - 11:57 am

California Recreational Marijuana Legalization

California Recreational Marijuana Initiative on the Verge

The Golden State is on its way to legalizing the recreational use of cannabis! (California 2016 ballot propositions 5/14/16).

Throughout history California has been an innovator in progressive cannabis culture. The state decriminalized marijuana in 1975 and in 1996 they became the first to legalize medicinal marijuana. Now, they are taking another step to legalize cannabis for the recreational user.

In November, 2016 the legalization of recreational marijuana will be on California’s ballot.

Lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom leads a group of proponents that have gathered over 600,000 petition signatures, more than meeting the 365,880 requirement. (CAL NORML Guide to the Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016 AUMA, 5/24/16).

This movement, coined the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (“AUMA”), would take California into the same leagues as Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Washington D.C. This grass roots movement wants to pass legislation which includes allowing a person 21 or over to possess as much as one ounce of marijuana for private recreational use, also allowing for personal marijuana cultivation of up to six plants.

The act would establish a system to license, regulate, and tax recreational marijuana dispensaries, while allowing individual cities the right to govern sales within city limits. Accordingly, hundreds of millions of dollars would be set aside for substance abuse prevention and treatment, law enforcement, and research. (CAL NORML Guide to the Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016 AUMA, 5/24/16).

Although heading in the right direction, California voters failed to legalize marijuana in the recent past by rejecting Proposition 19 in 2010. It was defeated with 53.5% voters voting against and 46.5% voting for the proposition. If passed it would have had similar guidelines to the AUMA, legalizing various marijuana related endeavors and permitting local governments to regulate said activities. Supporters argued, as they do now, that regulation and taxation would help with California’s budget shortfall, would redirect law enforcement resources to more dangerous crimes, and would reduce a source of funding for drug cartels. (California Proposition 19, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative).

The vote in November is the next step California is taking to move into the arena of states that have increased statewide revenue and jobs, while decreasing opiate related deaths and domestic abuse (The Progressive Cynic, 8/29/2014).

“This November, California voters will finally have the opportunity to pass smart marijuana policy that is built on the best practices of other states, includes the strictest child protections in the nation and pays for itself while raising billions for the state,” Lt. Governor Newsom said in a recent statement.

The California Medical Association touts the measure saying “the most effective way to protect the public health is to tightly control, track and regulate marijuana and to comprehensively research and educate the public on its health impacts, not through ineffective prohibition.” (CA Medical Association Announces Support for Responsible Marijuana Ballot Initiative, 2/1/16, para. 5)

Marijuana & Pesticides in Colorado

Posted on May 26, 2016 - 10:56 pm

Marijuana & Pesticides in Colorado

Many of you have probably read about the rise in pesticide recalls in Colorado’s retail marijuana & marijuana products. This may have you wondering: is Colorado’s marijuana safe?

This is the first in a series in which we explore pesticides in the Colorado marijuana industry. The aim of this post is to provide you with some insight into what requirements are placed on marijuana dispensaries and cannabis cultivation businesses when it comes to pesticide application. The second post in the series will explore how the pesticide requirements have affected Colorado dispensaries.

On November 12, 2015, Governor Hickenlooper issued Executive Order D 2015-015, sometimes referred to as the “Zero Tolerance” executive order. This executive order directed Colorado state agencies to address threats to public safety posed by marijuana contaminated by pesticides.

The executive order calls out a few important points:
• The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) regulates pesticides in the United States;
• Given that marijuana is a schedule I narcotic under the Controlled Substances Act, the EPA has neither:
(a) assessed the potential hazards associated with the use of pesticides on marijuana; or
(b) authorized application of particular pesticides to marijuana

Colorado also regulates pesticide applications through the Colorado Pesticide Applicator’s Act (“PAA”). PAA prohibits use of pesticides inconsistent with the EPA’s labels and directions.

Therein lies the predicament: Colorado’s PAA relied on directive from the EPA, but the EPA had not provided guidance on pesticide application for marijuana because it is still an illegal drug at the federal level.

As a result of the executive order, and in an effort to develop a list of pesticides that would be permitted for use on marijuana, the CDA consulted with the EPA. Specifically, as stated above the PAA and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) require that all pesticides be applied in strict accordance with the label directions for the particular product. The heart of the issue is that pesticide labels identify the type of “crop” for which the the pesticide is permitted to be used. At this time, there are no pesticides listing “cannabis” as a crop on the label.

Thus, the CDA created a list of pesticides that are permitted to be used on marijuana. That list is regularly updated and can be found on the CDA’s website. In testing marijuana, should the CDA find any trace of a pesticide that is not on the approved list, the marijuana will be placed on hold, likely resulting in a recall.

In the next post in this series, we will explore how these strict pesticide application rules have affected marijuana dispensaries across the state of Colorado.

2016 Presidential Candidates Views on Marijuana Legalization

Posted on May 23, 2016 - 9:43 am

2016 Presidential Election and Marijuana

2016 Presidential Candidates Views on Marijuana Legalization

With the current presidential candidates dwindling down in numbers, we here at The Greenery in Durango, Colorado have to wonder what changes could affect our recreational marijuana dispensary with the general election right around the corner.

Let’s take a look at the three candidates who are still in the race to see where they stand on the legalization of marijuana:

Donald Trump (R)

He could be one of the most interesting candidates to run for president of the United States to date. Trump’s view on the legalization of marijuana has changed just a few times:

Back in 1990 at a speech in Miami, Florida he once said “We’re losing badly on the war on drugs. You have to legalize drugs to win that war. You have to take the profit away from these drug czars.” – Sarasota Herald- Tribune April 14, 1990.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference in June 2015 in discussing the legalization of marijuana, Trump stated “I say it’s bad. Medical marijuana is another thing, but I think it’s bad, and I feel strongly about it,” further stating “[T]hey have got a lot of problems going on right now in Colorado. Some big problems.” – Washington Post, June, 2015

More recently Trump expressed his opinion of medical marijuana legalization versus recreational marijuana legalization. After Nevada legalized medical marijuana in October 2015, Trump was speaking at a rally outside of Reno and stated “Marijuana is such a big thing… I think medical should happen – right? Don’t we agree? I think so. And then I really believe we should leave it up to the states.” – Washington Post, October 29, 2015

So where does Trump stand? On the Bill O’Reilly show in February 2016 when asked about his position on marijuana legalization in Colorado: “I would, I would really want to think about that one Bill because in some ways, I think it’s good and in other ways, it’s bad.” – Bill O’Reilly show, February 10, 2016

All in all, it seems Trump supports each state’s right to vote on medical marijuana, but as far recreational use and legalization goes, it’s hard to tell officially where Trump stands.

Thus, we at The Greenery agree with the Marijuana Policy Project and give him a C+ rating for his views on the legalization of marijuana.

Hillary Clinton (D)

Hillary Clinton has a more solid stance, but will not firmly state whether she supports or opposes marijuana legalization. She does believe marijuana needs to be dropped from a Federal Schedule I Drug to a Schedule II so it can be further researched. – Claflin University on Nov. 7, 2015

Hillary historically indicated that she wants to take the “wait and see” approach to the legalization of marijuana. She once stated: “I’m a big believer in acquiring evidence, and I think we should see what kind of results we get, both from medical marijuana and from recreational marijuana, before we make any far-reaching conclusions…We need more studies. We need more evidence. And then we can proceed.” – CNN Politics, October 16, 2014

When recently ask if she has taken a stance on marijuana legalization, Hillary responded “No. I think that we have the opportunity through the states that are pursuing recreational marijuana to find out a lot more than we know today. I do support the use of medical marijuana, and I think even there we need to do a lot more research so that we know exactly how we’re going to help people for whom medical marijuana provides relief.” – 2016 Democratic Presidential Debate, October 13, 2015

In addition, Hillary indicated her support for Colorado and said: “I really believe it’s important that states like Colorado lead the way, so that we can learn what works and what doesn’t work. And I would certainly not want the federal government to interfere with the legal decision made by the people of Colorado, and enforced by your elected officials, as to how you should be conducting this business that you have approved.” – MSNBC, October 14, 2015

While Hillary doesn’t seem to have committed to a particular stance on the legalization of marijuana, she has recently said that she supports states moving toward medical marijuana and moving toward legalizing it for recreational use. – Jimmy Kimmel Live, March 24, 2016.

Hillary’s support for the state of Colorado’s legalization of marijuana is a positive sign despite her failure to take an official stance on the legalization of marijuana at the federal level.

We again agree with the Marijuana Policy Project’s rating of a B for Hillary as it relates to her viewpoints on the legalization of marijuana.

Bernie Sanders (D)

Bernie’s has “burned” before: the politician admitted that he tried marijuana twice in his life, ultimately deciding it wasn’t for him. – Washington Post, June 2, 2015

As of now, Bernie Sanders supports each state’s decision to legalize marijuana medical and recreational marijuana use. With that, he also supports federal legalization of marijuana in addition to lifting the federal prohibition, allowing states to decide whether to legalize. This would also allow marijuana businesses and entrepreneurs to have access to the banking system. – Vice News, October 29, 2015

Bernie is also proclaimed to be a co-sponsor for the Marijuana Businesses Access to Banking Act of 2015, which provides a safe harbor for financial institutions providing depository services to legitimate marijuana businesses. – US Congress, July 9, 2015

Check out Bernie’s website for further information on his stance regarding the marijuana legalization and the war on drugs.

Given Bernie’s consistent stance on the legalization of marijuana for both recreational and medical use, Bernie gets an A rating from The Greenery when it comes to his views on this issue.

The Greenery Announces New & Improved Daily Deals!

Posted on May 14, 2016 - 2:50 pm

Thankful Thursday Recreational Marijuana Durango Co

The Greenery in Durango, CO Announces New & Improved Daily Deals for Recreational Marijuana!

We have received great feedback from our recreational dispensary customers on The Greenery’s Daily Deals, including that Monday’s in Colorado aren’t so miserable! In response to that feedback and to show gratitude to our amazing customers, starting May 19, 2016, our daily Thursday special will change to Thankful Thursday – Get 15% off ANY one item of your choice!

In addition, while Monday’s special remains the same, we have revamped it with a new name to reflect the attitude of our customers … Marvelous Monday. The rest of our awesome Daily Deals for the purchase of recreational marijuana remain the same. Take a look at the following discounts available on flower and retail marijuana product so you can get the best deal on what you like to buy!

MARVELOUS MONDAY: Buy one gram, get the second gram 50% off

FAT TUESDAY: Get 15% off edibles, (including drinks)

WAXY WEDNESDAY: Get 15% off THC concentrates, including marijuana wax, THC shatter, hash & cannabis oils

THANKFUL THURSDAY: Get 15% off ANY one item of your choice

HAZY FRIDAY: Spend $50 and get a pre-rolled joint for $1.00

OTHER DISCOUNTS OFFERED: Colorado Medical cardholders & U.S. Veterans get 20% off every day*

LOYALTY PROGRAM: We appreciate our loyal customers, so make sure to get a Loyalty Card next time you come in!

The Loyalty Program works as follows:

10^th gram is $4.20
10^th 1/8 is $10
10^th joint is $1.00

The Greenery is also proud to announce a new Loyalty Program for our THC edible lovers!

The program works as follows:
For every $20 you spend on edibles, you receive a stamp. Your 10^th stamp can be redeemed for 50% off any edible of your choosing.

If you have any feedback on our marijuana dispensary or our Daily Deals for retail marijuana or retail marijuana products, please contact us at info@durangogreenery.com or ask one of our ninja budtenders next time you stop by.

Thanks for your business!

The Greenery
Proud to serve Durango, Bayfield and the surrounding communities in La Plata County – the heart of Southwest Colorado!

*Offer valid with proof of unexpired Medical Card and Veteran status.

Budtender Q&A : Meet Chris

Posted on May 1, 2016 - 8:58 pm

Chris at Durango Greenery - Recreational Marijuana

Budtender Q&A: Meet Chris

The Greenery in Durango, Colorado has built a great relationship with our community in Southwest Colorado over the last year – all thanks to our amazing budtenders! You know they are awesome at their budtender jobs, but we thought you might want to know a little more about what else they do.

This month, we are featuring our budtender, Chris:

Job title:

Operations & Marijuana Cultivation Manager

Essentially, when I’m not budtending, I manage aspects of the cultivation process like staying compliant with state and local laws, re-ordering, inventory control and things of that nature.

Hometown:

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Home of the Razorbacks/Walmart<(no one’s a fan).
Where the streets overflow with microbreweries, and the valleys hold hidden treasures.

When did you move to Durango, CO & why?

February 13th of 2015.

Everyone needs a change of scenery. I was looking for a town to move to for a couple years, I almost ended up in Bend, Oregon. But right before I moved, my friend from back home who attends the Fort Lewis College asked me to move in with her. So I packed all my stuff in my car and trailer, drove for a couple days and ended up here.

What do you do for fun (hobbies)?

Hike, canoe, climb, ski, try to play an instrument – the same stuff everyone else does in this town. However, I dabble in stained glass quite a bit and I can juggle fairly well.

What is your favorite part of Durango?

Well, it’s not in Durango, but it’s close to my house…kind of. Out the Vallecito Lake trail, maybe a mile back, you can turn off the trail and find a beautiful overlook that has a mountain behind you and the lake in front. It’s pretty sweet!

What are your favorite cannabis strains?

Durban Poison is one of my favorites lately it’s just tasty and stimulating. But, Snow Dog is a strain we had that I can’t get enough of. It’s a solid hybrid strain that has dense buds and a sweet, fruity smell. Great strain all around!

What is the best part of your dispensary job?

Well, my coworkers first. I think this is the first job I’ve had that hasn’t had any crazy drama going on at work and it’s pretty great. We all get along really well!

The other thing about this job is that there’s always an exciting new challenge around the corner.

Anything else you’d like to share about yourself?

Fun fact: When I still lived in Fayetteville, my friend Shannon started a GOGO dancing troupe. We had a group of about 10 girls and guys that would make costumes, dress up and go dancing on weekends. So I did that for a couple summers. It was great fun!

Also, I’ve lost a couple fingers on my right hand, but if you ask me how, I generally just make up a story.

A Big Grin for Legal Marijuana in Colorado

Posted on March 25, 2016 - 10:51 am

March 25, 2016

If you listened hard enough, you could hear the collective sigh of relief throughout Colorado’s legal marijuana industry when the Supreme Court’s decision to deny hearing the Oklahoma/Nebraska v. Colorado lawsuit hit the news.

Flashback to December 2014 –

Oklahoma and Nebraska filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court against Colorado. In their original complaint, the two states argued that marijuana purchased in Colorado flows into neighboring states, such as Nebraska and Oklahoma, undermining those states’ own marijuana bans, draining their treasuries, and placing stress on their criminal justice systems.

Oklahoma and Nebraska requested the Court to determine that Amendment 64 of the Colorado Constitution be preempted by federal law, thus making Amendment 64 unconstitutional and unenforceable. In other words, the states wanted to make the recreational use of marijuana illegal in Colorado again.

But the problem is, it’s not just Colorado who legalized recreational use of marijuana – so hearing this case may have just been the beginning.

Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and the District of Columbia have all legalized marijuana for recreational purposes. Also, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized some form of access to medical marijuana.

In addition to states trending more toward the legalizing of marijuana, in August 2013, the Department of Justice stated it would not interfere in states that choose to regulate marijuana.

Flashforward to February 2016 –

As the Supreme Court was about to discuss this important case, Justice Scalia unexpectly passed away, throwing everyone into speculation on the new timeframe of the decision.

But after a brief delay, the 6-2 decision to deny the states’ request to hear the case was announced the week of March 21, 2016. Which brings us to our collective sigh.

Colorado’s legal recreational marijuana dispensaries have a lot of challenges ahead, but with the string of losses in court for those challenging these laws, the future is looking brighter!

Sources/References:

https://www.leafly.com/news/headlines/supreme-court-rejects-states-challenge-to-colorado-cannabis-law

http://www.thecannabist.co/tag/nebraska-oklahoma-lawsuit/

http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20160321/NEWS01/160329952/US-Supreme-Court-refuses-to-hear-marijuana-case-against-Colorado

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2016/03/21/scotus-votes-6-2-rejects-hearing-ne-ok-lawsuit-against-co-marjijuana

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/03/21/marijuana-lawsuit-colorado-oklahoma-nebraska-supreme-court/81984006/

Budtender Q&A : Meet Melissa

Posted on February 27, 2016 - 3:20 pm