The green cross symbol that has become the common logo for medical marijuana dispensaries across the country will be disappearing from El Paso County medical dispensaries. Also, at the state level, a legislative move to cap marijuana potency failed in April, but a November ballot initiative to limit the amount of the psychoactive capacity of medical and recreational marijuana is moving forward.Green cross logo gets crossed outThe El Paso County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously in March to amend the county’s medical marijuana licensing policy. The amendment reads, ìA cross symbol, similar to the universally recognized symbol for a facility offering first aid,î cannot be used in signage displayed inside or outside the building. Dispensaries in unincorporated El Paso County must remove the green cross from their signage when they renew their annual license.Commissioner Darryl Glenn recommended the amendment at a January commissioner meeting. Four of the medical dispensaries in unincorporated areas of the county previously used the green cross symbol, said Kari Parsons of the county development services department.ìIt was one of those things that is there, but you don’t even think about it; but I feel it was important enough to take action on it,î Glenn said at the Jan. 12 meeting.ìVisitors from other countries and even other states may not realize all the fun we’re having here in Colorado, and these signs make them look like medical facilities,î said Amy Lathen, BOCC chairwoman.Opponents to the move said it would be a costly change for little benefit. ìI find that to be somewhat superficial and perhaps not extremely consequential, and even silly,î said Joel Aigner of iComply, a cannabis industry compliance and lobbying firm in Colorado Springs. ìIt’ll cause signing and repackaging expenses, but it’s based on little actual real world applicability; and it’s just to share a sentiment.îOther communities in the region continue to use the symbol. In Pueblo County, county code requires that medical and recreational dispensaries display the green cross or a sign referencing Amendment 64.THC limit fails in Legislature, but ballot initiative in worksA legislative amendment to a bill reauthorizing state marijuana policy, which would limit the amount of THC in the marijuana flower, extracts and infused products, failed in committee in April. The amendment would have limited the percentage of THC, the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis products, to 15 percent. Signatures are being sought for a ballot initiative that would create a16-percent limit.ìThe amount of attention this amendment got shows how this has been off the radar for a lot of people,î said Gina Carbone, co-founder of Smart Colorado, an organization that educates the public on the health effects of high-potency forms of marijuana. ìBut a little knowledge got people fired up.î Smart Colorado worked with legislators on the amendment to the sunset bill, but is not involved with the ballot initiative, Carbone said.Legalized marijuana in Colorado and Washington created new companies that were able to work on breeding new strains of marijuana to meet different medical and recreational needs. A race for higher potency, particular psychoactive effects and medical benefits, led to some strains with very high THC levels, Carbone said.ìThe strains they’re making now have really changed the product and marijuana in general,î Carbone said. ìHere in Colorado, because of medical marijuana, they started changing the plants and breeding them to increase the THC, and alter what was normal growing in the native weeds in Mexico.îThe Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reviewed studies from around the world on the overall health impact of marijuana. ìThroughout the process, the studies were all on 2 to 8 percent THC marijuana,î Carbone said. ìNo one has ever studied, and no one knows the health effect of, these higher THC strains.îImplementing a 15 or 16 percent THC limit on the marijuana flower and extracts would have severe impacts on the medical and recreational industry in Colorado. ìShould something like that pass, it would kill the market,î Aigner said. ìWould we reverse engineer the plants? Those lower strains are not out there any more. It would take nearly 100 percent of the product off the shelf besides CBD strains like Charlotte’s Web. That may not be their intent but that would be the outcome.îìIt’s a question of how we’re going to deal with this and what the number is going to be,î Carbone said. ìYou can get incredibly high incredibly quickly with these concentrates and strains. When it comes to driving and using these products, it’s concerning to us and to legislators. This will not be the last of the potency discussions.îAigner believes the ballot initiative will not pass, but has learned not to take these things for granted. ìPeople know we live in Colorado and understand our culture and economy,î Aigner said. ìHopefully, common sense would prevail, but that’s not anything you can totally count on. Based on the closeness of it (the legislative amendment) not passing, the ballot initiative will require a big effort to squelch it.î
