Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar 2013 – In Colorado, It’s High Rents, Wary Banks and Fear of a Federal Bust DENVER – The pot industry in Colorado is undergoing a massive makeover as it prepares to begin selling marijuana legally for recreational use under state law. Businesses are ramping up production, and trade associations are cleaning up their image, anticipating what could be a billion-dollar industry.

Westword, 28 Mar 2013 – Dear Stoner: I went to my friend’s house who is growing now and asked to see his plants. He said they were "sleeping," and I wasn’t allowed in the room. Has he just smoked so much that he thinks his plants sleep? Non Toker

Wall Street Journal, 28 Mar 2013 – As Colorado lawmakers craft rules to govern the newly authorized recreational-pot businesses, a state audit has raised questions about regulatory oversight of the state’s existing medical-marijuana industry. A committee of Colorado House and Senate legislators holds its final scheduled meeting Thursday as the legislature seeks to meet a May deadline to finalize laws covering recreational-pot sales, which were approved by state voters last year and are set to go into effect in 2014. The recreational-pot industry is expected to be larger than its medical counterpart. One challenge will be to adequately fund the undertaking. An audit released Tuesday said the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division, which oversees the state’s roughly 1,400 businesses that sell pot for medical use, hasn’t generated enough revenue from fees to hire the staff it needs to closely track sales.

DrugSense

Washington Post, 26 Mar 2013 – As State Prepares for Sale of Recreational Marijuana, Letter of Law Hinders Entrepreneurs The pot industry in Colorado is undergoing a massive makeover as it prepares to begin selling marijuana for recreational use legally under state law. Businesses are ramping up production, and trade associations are cleaning up their image, anticipating what could be a billion-dollar industry.

DrugSense

The Aspen Times, 22 Mar 2013 – Maybe because he’s a self-professed hardcore stoner for more than 30 years that legitimized him, but a guy wrote a guest piece in The Denver Post the other day about the legalization of pot in Colorado that explained in a few sentences what I haven’t been able to say clearly in about five years. He said it so calmly. He didn’t waste words. It was like an out-loud train of unconscious thought, but it made sense to me, y’all. I wish I’d written down his name, but I wasn’t really motivated. No worries. Let me summarize what he said: It’s not going to work. Think about why we voted to legalize weed. It wasn’t because most of us think smoking pot is a good, healthy, wholesome alternative to clear lungs and thinking. The two biggest reasons we legalized the stuff are, one, that we are hopelessly losing the war on drugs and throwing away valuable resources on it, and, two, since people are going to smoke it anyway, we might as well tax the crap out of it and use the windfall to make better schools.

Valley Courier, 20 Mar 2013 – This letter is in response to the "vote against evil" letter written by Jim Robbins. Who do you think made the plant you refer to as evil? God did. Who has discovered its many uses and yes, health related benefits? Man did. Who is evil God or man or a plant? Man is of course, so why in the world would you say that cannabis is evil itself? Just because the generation you grew up in demonized a plant, doesn’t make it evil.

Westword, 21 Mar 2013 – Dear Stoner: I’ve never tried marijuana, but lately my pot-smoking brother-in-law has been hanging out at our house with his stash, and I’ve been thinking of taking a toke or two with him. Any pointers for my first time? Newby Nate

Denver Post, 18 Mar 2013 – Re: "Denver council hashes out pot issues; will city become next Amsterdam?" March 11 news story. I don’t see a problem with Denver being a mecca for pot users. The city will see increased revenues from the direct tax on marijuana, and travelers’ expenses. The inevitable surge in Cheetos and Goldfish purchases could generate billions of tax dollars.