Cannabis Isn't Dead: Gov. Polis Says Colorado Not Resting On Its Laurels, Still Pushing Boundaries

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis touted the state's cannabis industry as "the best in the nation" in a video his office shared with National Cannabis Industry Association's members last week, reported Westword.

Although Polis, governor since 2018, still has reservations about legalizing psychedelics, when it came to cannabis, he went from being neutral to unreservedly supporting legalization.

"Over the years, we've laid that foundation and continued honing the process to make sure our industry is the very best in the world," Polis said on Wednesday. "And we continue this work. Just because Colorado is first doesn't mean we're content to rest on our laurels. We need to continue pursuing new boundaries and working to ensure we're being competitive with every other market that's following in our footsteps."

Legal recreational cannabis in Colorado celebrated its tenth anniversary in November, during which researchers have been studying its impact on health, public safety and the economy.

These days, lawmakers are working on tightening up the rules and regulations of the burgeoning industry.

A bill proposing to reform Colorado's social equity program moved forward in the state legislature last month.

House Bill 23-1020, which passed out of the House Business Affairs & Labor Committee, 7-4, on February 23, is sponsored by Rep. Naquetta Ricks and would add new preferential cannabis delivery opportunities and changes to the state's social equity licensing requirements.

Another state lawmaker is urging his colleagues to keep contaminated marijuana far from users. "[E]nforcement mechanisms are rather lengthy and cumbersome," Rep. Marc Snyder said during a recent Colorado House committee hearing.

On the medical side, Senate Bill 81 from Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, which seeks to increase the amount of medical cannabis concentrate a patient can purchase daily, passed its first committee hearing a month ago.

Cannabis Industry Is In Need Of More Innovation And Federal Policy Reform 

However, the main issue burdening the market is a two-year recession, with wholesale flower prices hovering at a record low and cannabis sales declining over the years.

Polis said that hard work and innovation would help Colorado be at the forefront of the cannabis space. He added that legalization on the federal level and providing marijuana businesses with banking access need to be addressed in order to make further progress.

"We all know that federal action must be taken to create a far more effective, successful landscape for the industry," Polis said. "I've been outspoken about my support for federal legalization in conversations with the White House, the FDA [and] members of Congress about the importance and the urgency of this."

Photo: Benzinga edit of images by Matthew Brodeur on Unsplash and Wikimedia Commons