Legal pot issues ‘slant’ westward, have implications for broader U.S.

Error message
In order to filter by the "in queue" property, you need to add the Entityqueue: Queue relationship.-
County NewsTen of the 15 WIR states are dealing with recreational or medical marijuana legalization in one form or another.Legal pot issues ‘slant’ westward, have implications for broader U.S.
-
County News Article
Legal pot issues ‘slant’ westward, have implications for broader U.S.
"Don't make the same mistakes that we did." That warning came from Colorado and Washington state asso ciation of counties' officials at a packed WIR workshop, Medical and Recreational Marijuana Le galization: Impact on Counties.
In the fall of 2012, voters in Washington and Colorado passed ballot initiatives legalizing the use, possession and cultivation of recreational marijuana. "One of the things that I will say was a personal failure of mine and an organizational failure of ours that I want you to learn from," said Brian Enslow, senior policy director for the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC): The association erred in seeing itself as simply a "creature that lobbies the legislature." "We have some laws that don't allow us to take positions on initiatives, so we don't have an initiative focus as an association. We don't, we haven't, and we should have." Recreational and medical marijuana has been an issue that "slanted towards the West," Enslow said, because several western states allow citizen-led ballot initiatives.
Ten of the 15 WIR states are dealing with the issue in one form or another, Taylor added. Considering just medical marijuana, 23 states and the District of Columbia have authorized medicinal pot, either legislatively or through voter initiative. En s l w said when his asso ciation became aware that then recreational marijuana issue was ripe as an issue that the ACLU was working on a ballot initiative WSAC should have reached out to them. "We should have started influencing the process there, not after the fact."
As for CCI, Taylor said it was not pro or anti marijuana. "We are pro-local control. "But as an association that represents counties commissioners with varying views, he said, "my challenge is trying to serve all of these commission ers . How do we represent pros and cons?"
The Obama Administration's Justice Department (DOJ) has not interfered in individual states' marijuana laws, "But that's this administration," Enslow said. Directives from DOJ have been: "Don't let kids get it. Don't let the cartels get it, and don't let it go out of state."
Colorado is being sued by neigh boring Nebraska and Oklahoma because of the "leakage" of pot across their borders, where those states say it's having an impact on law enforcement, courts and jails. "They'd very much like for the feds to so more. Those states would like Colorado to do more," Taylor said. "The next president may have a whole different idea and direct the DOJ to do something completely different."
During questions and answers, Rachel Richards, a Pitkin County, Colo. commissioner, said another issue counties are facing is where marijuana "grow" facilities should be allowed to locate. "The odor is the biggest thing," she said. "People are afraid of crime from it."
Taylor, who lives in Denver, said industrial areas have been overtaken by indoor grow facilities. "People who are growing mari juana don't want to be subject to whether or not it rains, whether or not there's an early freeze," he explained. "And they're taking over warehouse space; and consequent ly, the price of getting warehouse space in industrial zones in Denver is going through the roof."
Enslow added that in Wash ington, small rural ports that rent industrial space to pot producers are "booming." "You can get four crops a year rather than just one growing outside."
Kathie Wasserman, executive director of the Alaska Municipal League, said that while recreational marijuana has been legalized in her state, a prohibition against smoking in public will prove to be prob lematic, especially for marijuana tourists. "You can't smoke in a hotel room, [a person] sure can't take marijuana on a boat and go out in U.S. waters, you can't take it on a plane, so, if you're in Juneau, where are you going to go?" As a result, she added, one of the biggest issues is her state is "pot clubs."
For those reasons, at least in Washington state, Enslow said, edible marijuana products seem to have taken a larger share of the market. "Public consumption issues are somewhat resolved through edibles, brownies, soda pop, things like that," which are indistinguish able from pot-free varieties of the same products.
Taylor said Colorado just ap proved rules last fall that say edibles have to be produced in serving sizes, "so you can't sell somebody a cookie and then tell them they have to cut it into 10 wedges."
There's also the issue of quality control, he added. "Testing is a growth market for us in Colorado being able to make sure that whatever you're producing isn't 2 milligrams in one (product) and 25 milligrams in another.
"It's a really big issue because the department of public health and environment would ordinarily do food safety testing, but they can't approve as safe for consumption a product that contains a Schedule 1 drug," Taylor added. "So we have now a whole market developing around who's going to do testing, and who's going to certify (qual ity)."
Legal marijuana can be a "significant" revenue generator. There can be local excise or sales taxes, state business licenses, ap plication fees. However, that's not a good argument for legalizing pot, Taylor said. "But there are loads of impacts; you want to be able to understand those, you want to be able to address them."
Marijuana sales in Colorado in 2014 amounted to $700 million, more than half of which was for medical pot, Taylor said. "In March alone, we had $32 million worth of medical sales and $42 million worth of recreational sales.
"That tells me there are en trenched interests. There are folks who are coming to the legislature anxious to protect their business, and with that kind of money on the table, they're going to fight hard to protect it."
Hawaii state Sen. Josh Green, M.D., who was in the audience, said, there's a lot of lobbyist money out there that could make the issue "too big to fail." "It's going to be too big for any of you to stop unless you have the absolute, impenetrable support of your leadership and your constituency. Be prepared for that."
Ten of the 15 WIR states are dealing with recreational or medical marijuana legalization in one form or another.2015-05-31County News Article2018-06-01
"Don't make the same mistakes that we did." That warning came from Colorado and Washington state asso ciation of counties' officials at a packed WIR workshop, Medical and Recreational Marijuana Le galization: Impact on Counties.
In the fall of 2012, voters in Washington and Colorado passed ballot initiatives legalizing the use, possession and cultivation of recreational marijuana. "One of the things that I will say was a personal failure of mine and an organizational failure of ours that I want you to learn from," said Brian Enslow, senior policy director for the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC): The association erred in seeing itself as simply a "creature that lobbies the legislature." "We have some laws that don't allow us to take positions on initiatives, so we don't have an initiative focus as an association. We don't, we haven't, and we should have." Recreational and medical marijuana has been an issue that "slanted towards the West," Enslow said, because several western states allow citizen-led ballot initiatives.
Ten of the 15 WIR states are dealing with the issue in one form or another, Taylor added. Considering just medical marijuana, 23 states and the District of Columbia have authorized medicinal pot, either legislatively or through voter initiative. En s l w said when his asso ciation became aware that then recreational marijuana issue was ripe as an issue that the ACLU was working on a ballot initiative WSAC should have reached out to them. "We should have started influencing the process there, not after the fact."
As for CCI, Taylor said it was not pro or anti marijuana. "We are pro-local control. "But as an association that represents counties commissioners with varying views, he said, "my challenge is trying to serve all of these commission ers . How do we represent pros and cons?"
The Obama Administration's Justice Department (DOJ) has not interfered in individual states' marijuana laws, "But that's this administration," Enslow said. Directives from DOJ have been: "Don't let kids get it. Don't let the cartels get it, and don't let it go out of state."
Colorado is being sued by neigh boring Nebraska and Oklahoma because of the "leakage" of pot across their borders, where those states say it's having an impact on law enforcement, courts and jails. "They'd very much like for the feds to so more. Those states would like Colorado to do more," Taylor said. "The next president may have a whole different idea and direct the DOJ to do something completely different."
During questions and answers, Rachel Richards, a Pitkin County, Colo. commissioner, said another issue counties are facing is where marijuana "grow" facilities should be allowed to locate. "The odor is the biggest thing," she said. "People are afraid of crime from it."
Taylor, who lives in Denver, said industrial areas have been overtaken by indoor grow facilities. "People who are growing mari juana don't want to be subject to whether or not it rains, whether or not there's an early freeze," he explained. "And they're taking over warehouse space; and consequent ly, the price of getting warehouse space in industrial zones in Denver is going through the roof."
Enslow added that in Wash ington, small rural ports that rent industrial space to pot producers are "booming." "You can get four crops a year rather than just one growing outside."
Kathie Wasserman, executive director of the Alaska Municipal League, said that while recreational marijuana has been legalized in her state, a prohibition against smoking in public will prove to be prob lematic, especially for marijuana tourists. "You can't smoke in a hotel room, [a person] sure can't take marijuana on a boat and go out in U.S. waters, you can't take it on a plane, so, if you're in Juneau, where are you going to go?" As a result, she added, one of the biggest issues is her state is "pot clubs."
For those reasons, at least in Washington state, Enslow said, edible marijuana products seem to have taken a larger share of the market. "Public consumption issues are somewhat resolved through edibles, brownies, soda pop, things like that," which are indistinguish able from pot-free varieties of the same products.
Taylor said Colorado just ap proved rules last fall that say edibles have to be produced in serving sizes, "so you can't sell somebody a cookie and then tell them they have to cut it into 10 wedges."
There's also the issue of quality control, he added. "Testing is a growth market for us in Colorado being able to make sure that whatever you're producing isn't 2 milligrams in one (product) and 25 milligrams in another.
"It's a really big issue because the department of public health and environment would ordinarily do food safety testing, but they can't approve as safe for consumption a product that contains a Schedule 1 drug," Taylor added. "So we have now a whole market developing around who's going to do testing, and who's going to certify (qual ity)."
Legal marijuana can be a "significant" revenue generator. There can be local excise or sales taxes, state business licenses, ap plication fees. However, that's not a good argument for legalizing pot, Taylor said. "But there are loads of impacts; you want to be able to understand those, you want to be able to address them."
Marijuana sales in Colorado in 2014 amounted to $700 million, more than half of which was for medical pot, Taylor said. "In March alone, we had $32 million worth of medical sales and $42 million worth of recreational sales.
"That tells me there are en trenched interests. There are folks who are coming to the legislature anxious to protect their business, and with that kind of money on the table, they're going to fight hard to protect it."
Hawaii state Sen. Josh Green, M.D., who was in the audience, said, there's a lot of lobbyist money out there that could make the issue "too big to fail." "It's going to be too big for any of you to stop unless you have the absolute, impenetrable support of your leadership and your constituency. Be prepared for that."
Hero 1
About Charles Taylor (Full Bio)
Charles Taylor is a special correspondent for County News.More from Charles Taylor
-
Blog
Senate HELP Committee seeks comments on pandemic and all-hazards preparedness
On March 15, Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-La.) of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) released a request for information seeking input from public health officials, health care providers and other stakeholders on policies the Committee should consider during the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. -
Blog
NACo submits comments to Senate HELP Committee on health care workforce shortages
On March 2, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released a request for information from health care stakeholders on the causes of and solutions for current health care workforce shortages. -
Blog
County officials discuss harm reduction as a path forward through the overdose epidemic
Dr. Gregory Wm. Branch, director of the Baltimore County, Md. Department of Health and Human Services, speaks at NACo’s 2023 Legislative Conference. Photo by Leon Lawrence III. -
Blog
Addressing social determinants of health with GIS technology
Discover the transformative power of GIS technology in addressing social determinants of health and building healthier communities. -
Blog
New CDC data reveals rates of poor mental health and suicidality on the rise for youth in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2019, which provides data on health-related behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death amongst youth and adults. -
Blog
HHS releases guidance on the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
On February 9, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released new guidance on the agency’s plan to end the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declaration on May 11, 2023.
-
Webinar
County Leaders Championing Justice Efforts in Local Communities
April 5, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pmCounties are directing resources to programs, practices and policies to reduce the overuse and misuse of the criminal legal system, improve public safety, better serve residents with behavioral health conditions and improve community stability and health.04052:00 pm<p>Counties are directing resources to programs, practices and policies to reduce the overuse and misuse of the criminal legal system, improve public safety, better serve residents with behavioral health conditions and improve communit
-
Webinar
Strategies for Leveraging County Health Rankings Data to Improve Community Health
April 19, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pmCounties play a key role in public health at the local level, as the conveners of multi-sector stakeholders, administrators of federal health-funding programs, like Medicaid, and providers of many crucial health services for residents.04192:00 pm<p>Counties play a key role in public health at the local level, as the conveners of multi-sector stakeholders, administrators of federal health-funding programs, like Medicaid, and providers of many crucial health services for residen
-
Basic page
The Stepping Up Initiative
In May 2015, NACo and partners at the CSG Justice Center and APA Foundation launched Stepping Up: A National Initiative to Reduce the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails.pagepagepage<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%" summary="call-out">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td> -
Reports & Toolkits
COVID-19 Recovery Clearinghouse
The COVID-19 Recovery Clearinghouse features timely resources for counties, including allocation estimations, examples of county programs using federal coronavirus relief funds, the latest news and more.Reports & Toolkitsdocument03127:15 pmReports & Toolkits<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%" summary="ad-block no-top-margin no-bullets">
<caption>Jump to Section</caption> -
Basic page
NACo High Performance Leadership Academy
The NACo High Performance Leadership Academy is an online 12-week program that will empower frontline county government professionals with the most fundamental leadership skills to deliver results for counties and communities.pagepagepage<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%" summary="medium-call-out transparent">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td> -
Basic page
Live Healthy U.S. Counties
The National Association of Counties (NACo) Live Healthy Prescription, Health & Dental Discount Program is a NO-COST program available to all member counties.pagepagepage<h1>With <a id="naco" name="naco">NACo</a>, Saving Feels Better</h1>
-
Basic page
cashvest
cashvest® by three+one is a cash management platform that provides new and unparalleled level of liquidity analysis and data services for local, county, school district and college governing bodiespagepagepage<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%" summary="call-out">
<tbody>
<tr> -
Reports & Toolkits
Opioid Solutions Center
NACo’s Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.Reports & Toolkitsdocument10123:30 pmReports & Toolkits<p>NACo's Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.
Contact
-
County News Digital Editor & Senior Writer(202) 942-4210
Related Resources
-
Blog
NACo submits comments to Senate HELP Committee on health care workforce shortages
On March 2, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released a request for information from health care stakeholders on the causes of and solutions for current health care workforce shortages. -
Blog
Senate HELP Committee seeks comments on pandemic and all-hazards preparedness
On March 15, Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-La.) of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) released a request for information seeking input from public health officials, health care providers and other stakeholders on policies the Committee should consider during the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. -
Blog
County officials discuss harm reduction as a path forward through the overdose epidemic
Dr. Gregory Wm. Branch, director of the Baltimore County, Md. Department of Health and Human Services, speaks at NACo’s 2023 Legislative Conference. Photo by Leon Lawrence III.
-
Reports & Toolkits
The County Role In Long-Term Care
County governments play an essential role in ensuring the health and safety of older Americans and individuals with disabilities as key administrators of safety net programs and services. -
Reports & Toolkits
Legislative Analysis for Counties: The Inflation Reduction Act
The IRA offers counties the opportunity to pursue clean energy initiatives and reduce emissions through new competitive grant programs, local resiliency investments and clean energy tax credits. -
Press Release
National Association of Counties Announces Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing
New initiative brings together county leaders to drive action on nation’s mental health crisis
Related Events
-
5Apr2023Webinar
County Leaders Championing Justice Efforts in Local Communities
Apr. 5, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm -
19Apr2023Webinar
Strategies for Leveraging County Health Rankings Data to Improve Community Health
Apr. 19, 2023 , 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
More From
-
ARPA Impact Report: An Analysis of How Counties are Addressing National Issues With Local Investments
With American Rescue Plan funds, counties are strengthening America’s workforce, addressing the nation’s behavioral health crisis, expanding broadband access, improving housing affordability and building prosperous communities for the next generation.
Learn More