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Chronicle AM: Obama to Sign Opioids Bill, CO Legal MJ Fueling Economic Growth, More... (7/15/16)

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #936)

A new report finds legal marijuana has been good for Colorado's economy, the White House announces President Obama will sign CARA, and more.

The president will sign the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act despite the lack of adequate funding. (whitehouse.gov)
Marijuana Policy

Report Finds Legal Marijuana Bolstering Retail, Manufacturing in Colorado. In a new report, the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business finds that the state's marijuana industry is bumping up retail sales and hiring in manufacturing. Recreational cannabis sales began in 2014. That year, "We had a 3.5% increase in employment. In 2015, a 4.9% increase in food-manufacturing employment," the report said. "The data doesn't allow us to slice and dice to say, 'These are indeed edibles or not,' but the recognition is this is where they would be classified." Likewise, chemical manufacturing jobs vanished at a rate of 2.2% a year from 2002 to 2012, but increased 2.1% in 2013, 1.4% in 2014, and 3.9% last year. Chemical manufacturing includes producing cannabis oils.

Heroin and Prescription Opioids

Obama Will Sign Opioids Bill Despite Lack of Funding. President Obama will sign into law the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S. 524) even though Congress failed to adequately fund it, the White House said Wednesday. The bill "falls far short" of necessary funding, but Obama will sign it "because some action is better than none." More funds could be appropriated in the future, but that's by no means a done deal.

International

Peru Takes Aim at Coca Cultivation in the VRAEM. The country's anti-drug agency, DEVIDA, said Thursday in is ready to eradicate coca plants in the remote and lawless Valleys of the Rio, Apurimac, and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM) region of south-central Peru. The government has held off on eradication in the region, a major coca producer and home to a remnant of the Shining Path rebels. About three-quarters of the country's coca is grown there, and DEVIDA is ready to go after it. "Today I can say that the conditions are now entirely there for a drastic reduction in the coverage of coca in the VRAEM," Devida chief Alberto Otarola said in a news conference. "No part of Peru should be exempt from the rule of law."

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Dianne boggs (not verified)

"No part of Peru should be exempt from the law". No country on earth should eradicate medicinal plants. Treat the addiction, don't poison the earth.
Sat, 07/16/2016 - 4:33pm Permalink
Dianne boggs (not verified)

What about God's law? Plants are not dangerous. It's governments forcing laws that are dangerous. Peru has a gift, but instead of using it wisely, now they want to destroy it. That's only going to cause other, potentially worse crimes, in the future. Think of all the problems illegalizing marijuana caused. There's still marijuana but now it cost a fortune, or people are imprisoned for it, or they seek the alternative and dangerous K -2. If you don't realize that by now, you are either stupid or being paid off by some greedy government that wants to keep the wars going.
Sat, 07/16/2016 - 4:53pm Permalink
William Aiken (not verified)

The economic success spawned by legalization, should be a huge story. With the economy and job creation as the leading issues for the Presidential candidates, you would think the media would raise these subjects with Trump and Clinton. What's even more frustrating is the void of coverage that the feds still deny pot businesses access to credit making them vulnerable to robberies. Legal pot is a huge threat to the alcohol industry, who have openly funded initiatives to suppress and limit marijuana businesses and spend hundred of millions on TV ads. That kind of clout buys a lot of influence to stifle any product competition.  

Sun, 07/17/2016 - 10:06pm Permalink

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