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• Marijuana ad campaigns to begin soon

  May 11, 2012 6:13 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Marijuana legalization supporters are courting mothers in their first television campaign ad of the year. An ad airing Friday in Denver features a young woman e-mailing her mother to talk about marijuana. The young woman argues that pot is safer than alcohol, the central tenet of the... more »

• Vehicle runs into MMJ shop

  May 8, 2012 7:15 AM

  A vehicle crashed into the front of a medical marijuana dispensary early Tuesday morning. It happened on the 3600 block of Galley Road in Colorado Springs. That is the Happy Buddha Wellness Center. Investigators say the vehicle was unoccupied and still running when they found it. They... more »

• CU attempts to put a stop to 4-20 pot rally

  April 20, 2012 6:34 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado's flagship university is restricting visitors for a day in a bid to stop an annual marijuana protest that last year attracted more than 10,000 people. Every year, many marijuana activists across the nation hold pot-smoking protests on April 20 to demand legalization. The gathering at the... more »

• MMJ user denied apartment rental Play Video

  March 19, 2012 12:28 AM

  "I have kidney disease, hardening of the arteries, muscular dystrophy," Anthony Martino says, leaning on his cane. All that and epilepsy, a stroke, and a heart condition make him a candidate for medical marijuana. "I'm totally, 100% disabled." But the very thing that his doctors prescribed Martino to keep... more »

• Yoga habit earns Colo. man a break on pot sentence

  March 6, 2012 10:59 AM

  ASPEN, Colo. (AP) - A district court judge in Aspen gave a former Snowmass resident a break after the man said he replaced his pot habit with yoga. Vaughn Barnett says he once lived life in a marijuana haze until he discovered the benefits of yoga at the Pitkin County... more »

• Marijuana activists from Colorado to protest Obama

  February 16, 2012 7:24 AM

  LAKEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Marijuana activists are headed to an Obama campaign office to protest what they consider "hostile actions" from the administration. Pot activists say that President Barack Obama's administration is making "attacks" on medical marijuana patients. Several activists were headed to a campaign office in Lakewood Thursday to... more »

• Teen pot use grew with medical marijuana boom

  February 6, 2012 4:50 PM

  At 18, Abby Ferguson has had her medical marijuana card since June but says she's used pot for years. "It was a big part of the culture where I grew up, Manitou, it's pretty common down here," Abby said. She isn't alone; recent state and national surveys show... more »

• Some medical marijuana businesses told to pack up

  January 17, 2012 12:50 AM

  Late last week around 23 medical marijuana businesses all over the state received a letter from U.S. Attorney John Walsh. In it he says the businesses are located within 1000 feet of a school and have until February 27th to get out. Judith Negley is one of those business... more »

• Medical marijuana industry bringing in sales tax dollars

  January 12, 2012 12:35 AM

  After just less than three years of business in the City of Colorado Springs, the medical marijuana industry says they're doing pretty well. "We're seeing good, steady growth." says shop owner Scott Saunders. He and his partner own two medical marijuana dispensaries in town, including MC Caregivers near Academy and... more »

• Medical marijuana industry growing

  January 11, 2012 10:42 PM

  We're speaking with the city and local Colorado Springs medical marijuana businesses tonight. From 2010 to 2011 the industry posted a growth in sales taxes collected of 45%. We'll have that story tonight on News 5 at 10. more »

• Marijuana legalization effort advances Play Video

  December 17, 2011 11:39 PM

  Colorado voters will be deciding in November whether the state should become the first to completely legalize marijuana. This week, the group Sensible Colorado announced that they have collected enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot. Bob Wiley is a local spokesperson for the group. He says... more »

• Teen drug abuse study has ups and downs

  December 15, 2011 12:18 AM

  Teen habits towards alcohol, tobacco, and drugs are taking dramatic changes. "We are seeing significant decrease in alcohol drinking behaviors since 1996 when it was very high," says Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institute of Health. The annual study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows... more »

• Medical marijuana license fees could be cut in half

  November 16, 2011 7:36 AM

  DENVER (AP) - The price of a medical marijuana license in Colorado could be lowered more than half. The state Board of Health planned Wednesday to consider lowering the fee from $90 a year to $35 a year. Already the $90 fee is lower than when Colorado first authorized... more »

• Views differ on medicated driving Play Video

  September 28, 2011 6:45 PM

  Medical marijuana supporters in Colorado believe that some patients can safely drive even if they have recently medicated. But state troopers think those supporters may be giving out dangerous advice. The Colorado Department of Transportation rolled out a public service announcement campaign last month warning drivers specifically not to... more »

• Illegal to sell guns to medical marijuana users

  September 28, 2011 3:45 PM

  HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Federal authorities say firearms dealers in states where medical marijuana is legal can't sell guns or ammunition to registered users of the drug. Licensed gun dealers already can't sell guns to buyers who answer "yes" when a required form asks them if they are "an... more »

• Walsenburg officers seize drugs, weapons during traffic stop

  September 20, 2011 12:36 PM

  What started as a routine traffic stop for speeding became a major drug bust for police officers in Walsenburg. Officer Buddy Townes, Corporal John Salazar and K9 officer Atos stopped the car late Friday night. In the process they discovered hydrocodone pills, marijuana, ecstasy, mushrooms and two guns. The... more »

• Some marijuana advocates oppose legalization effort Play Video

  September 19, 2011 8:34 PM

  A petition drive is currently underway to completely legalize marijuana use in our state. A group calling themselves Citizens for Responsible Legalization started running television ads in Colorado Springs on Friday promoting the effort. Brian Vicente of the group Sensible Colorado says the proposed referendum would place similar restrictions... more »

• Caught sleeping in car, with drugs and gun in trunk

  September 6, 2011 8:45 AM

  Three men are facing charges, after colorado springs police say they found drugs and a stolen gun in their car. Colorado Springs Police say the vehicle was parked in Cottonwood Creek Park after hours yesterday morning. When police investigated, they found three men, and three underage girls. All... more »

• Local bank pulls business ties with MMJ shops

  August 24, 2011 11:00 PM

  Medical marijuana shops in Colorado Springs are looking for answers after a local bank canceled business with the industry. The Colorado Springs State Bank was the bank nearly all mmj shops had been doing business with since they all opened. In addition, store owners tell us that the bank... more »

• Marijuana patient charged Play Video

  August 3, 2011 8:29 PM

  A Colorado Springs man faces up to 12 years in prison for allegedly having too many pot plants in his house. Court documents say the police never found Bob Crouse's medical marijuana records and they believe he intended to sell the pot. But Crouse says he used the marijuana to... more »

• Alcohol, drugs factors in fatal Coors Field fall

  August 1, 2011 3:58 PM

  DENVER (AP) - A 27-year-old man who died when he fell from a stairway during a Colorado Rockies game had marijuana and alcohol in his system at the time. An autopsy report released Monday says the amount of alcohol in Robert Seamans' system was twice the legal limit for driving.... more »

• CU trying to snuff campus pot fest tradition

  July 31, 2011 2:05 PM

  BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - The University of Colorado says nearly one in four students who answered a school survey took part in a marijuana outdoor smoking festival last spring as the school works to snuff the campus "4/20 smoke-out" some students believe is a university-sanctioned event. The school released... more »

• Colorado Police seeing more drivers under influence of marijuana

  July 26, 2011 4:41 AM

  Colorado police say they are encountering more drivers who are either under the influence of marijuana or are carrying the drug illegally with them in their vehicle. Authorities say drug evaluations of impaired drivers that turned up positive for marijuana increased from 2009 to 2010. State Department of... more »

• Marijuana driving arrests increase

  July 25, 2011 3:39 PM

  LONGMONT, Colo. (AP) - Colorado police say they are encountering more drivers who are either under the influence of marijuana or are carrying the drug illegally with them in their vehicle. Authorities say drug evaluations of impaired drivers that turned up positive for marijuana increased from 2009 to 2010.... more »

• Pot, marriage could play roles in '12 Colo. races

  July 24, 2011 11:48 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado's position as a key battleground state in the 2012 presidential race comes with a wrinkle neither party seems to like: A freewheeling ballot initiative tradition that could put both legalizing marijuana and gay marriage before voters on Election Day next year. Marijuana activists have begun... more »

• Fees to increase for dispensaries

  July 18, 2011 6:31 AM

  STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - The town board of Oak Creek in northwest Colorado has voted to boost fees for operating medical marijuana dispensaries and growing operations. The Steamboat Pilot & Today reports that the board passed draft legislation this week that would raise the initial application fee for... more »

• 23 people indicted for smuggling marijuana

  July 12, 2011 4:55 AM

  A grand jury has indicted 23 people suspected of bringing in more than 45,000 pounds of marijuana over about a year into the Denver area by hiding the drugs in tour buses from Mexico. Authorities said Monday that a Jefferson County grand jury returned a 96-count indictment June 3... more »

• Colorado pot campaign starts Thursday

  July 6, 2011 11:18 PM

  DENVER (AP) - A state board has given final clearance for the language of a ballot proposal that would legalize marijuana for recreational use in Colorado. Activists plan to begin gathering petitions Thursday afternoon to put the question on ballots next year. The constitutional amendment would set up... more »

• Marijuana limit legalization

  July 6, 2011 6:35 AM

  A state title board is deciding to put another question about marijuana on the ballot this Wednesday. They will make a decision about making marijuana comparable to alcohol for the 2012 ballots. A marijuana activist challenging proposed language for the ballot measure says it's a flawed description because there's... more »

• State mmj shops get new regulations this week Play Video

  June 26, 2011 7:30 PM

  A landmark week is ahead for the medical marijuana industry in Colorado. On July 1st new state regulations, the toughest in the country, will officially go in to effect. Scott Saunders, who owns Natural Leaf in Colorado Springs, says he welcomes the regulation for legitimacy. "Regulations absolutely will provide legitimacy... more »

• Ex soldier sentenced in marijuana case

  June 10, 2011 6:47 AM

  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - One of three Fort Carson soldiers police say locked themselves in while trying to rob a medical marijuana dispensary in Colorado Springs has been sentenced to two years of probation and 116 days he's already served in jail. The Gazette reports that 23-year-old Ramone... more »

• Pitkin County Changes Pot Policies

  June 9, 2011 1:17 PM

  ASPEN, Colo. (AP) - Pitkin County commissioners are backing off rules regulating the local growth and sale of medical marijuana because of threats from the federal government to take action against officials administering state-sanctioned medical marijuana programs. Commissioners on Wednesday were considering an ordinance that would have added specifications for... more »

• Morgan County bans marijuana dispensaries

  June 2, 2011 12:24 PM

  FORT MORGAN, Colo. (AP) - Rural Morgan County in northeast Colorado is the latest to make a marijuana dispensary ban permanent. The Fort Morgan Times reports that county commissioners voted unanimously this week to ban pot shops and commercial growing operations. The county had been under a moratorium, but... more »

• Pot lawyer suing CO over regulations

  May 27, 2011 5:57 PM

  DENVER (AP) - A prominent marijuana attorney in Colorado has given notice he'll be suing over new medical pot regulations, including requirements that dispensaries grow most of the marijuana they sell. Robert Corry of Denver sent a letter to state Attorney General John Suthers Friday say he intends to... more »

• Police seek suspect in attempted marijuana holdup

  May 19, 2011 2:56 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Denver police are looking for a man accused of pulling a gun on a woman while she waited for friends at a marijuana dispensary and demanding her medical marijuana. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson says police are looking for 19-year-old Benny Cruz on charges of attempted murder,... more »

• Committee approves new MMJ rules

  May 2, 2011 9:01 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado lawmakers are reducing the permitted size of medical marijuana growing operations following a federal warning that it's still a violation of federal law to grow and possess marijuana. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill Monday that changes rules for how the drug can be... more »

• Legislature still working on pot rules, despite Fed warning

  May 2, 2011 5:01 PM

  Colorado lawmakers are taking up marijuana regulation proposals for the first time since they received a federal warning about states and pot. The Senate Finance Committee planned to start work on a medical marijuana bill that changes rules for how the drug can be grown and sold. Last week,... more »

• Shots fired into mmj dispensary

  May 1, 2011 12:10 AM

  An early morning call to police has left one Colorado Springs business shot up and asking questions. It all happened at a medical marijuana dispensary on the 1300 block of North Academy around 3 Saturday morning. Police received a call of shots fired in the area. The suspects got away.... more »

• Update: Shots fired at mmj dispensary

  April 30, 2011 9:28 PM

  A News First 5 crew just returned from the scene of Saturday morning's shots fired at a medical marijuana center on North Academy. Tonight at 10 we'll have more with the dispensary's manager. He shows us the large bullet holes left by the shooters and tells us why he's not... more »

• Colorado gets marijuana warning from federal government

  April 27, 2011 3:26 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado is the latest state to receive marijuana warnings from the federal government as state lawmakers mull regulating the drug. The top federal prosecutor in Colorado sent a letter Tuesday to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and some lawmakers. The letter says that states shouldn't pass bills... more »

• Does pot reduce sexual violence?

  April 26, 2011 1:23 PM

  DENVER (AP) - College students are headed to the Colorado Capitol to make an unusual argument in favor of marijuana legalization. This group says pot use could reduce alcohol-related sexual violence. The argument isn't a new one. Several Colorado college pot groups have pushed unsuccessfully for campuses not to punish... more »

• CU considers ending marijuana celebration to save $50,000

  April 25, 2011 12:04 PM

  BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - University of Colorado officials are discussing the possibility of shutting down an annual marijuana celebration event that costs the school tens of thousands of dollars to manage. Vice Chancellor for Administration Frank Bruno says CU pays about $50,000 annually to hire personnel from the sheriff... more »

• CU pays 50K for annual pot celebration

  April 24, 2011 1:52 PM

  BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - University of Colorado officials are discussing the possibility of shutting down an annual marijuana celebration event that costs the school tens of thousands of dollars to manage. Vice Chancellor for Administration Frank Bruno says CU pays about $50,000 annually to hire personnel from the sheriff... more »

• State House considers edible marijuana

  April 19, 2011 2:56 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Mandatory labels on edible marijuana in Colorado have won preliminary approval in the state House. The bill requires "edibles" such as pot brownies or cannabis-infused lollipops to be packaged in childproof packages and carry labels warning that the products are not for children. The bill is... more »

• Marijuana taxes could help Pueblo alcohol treatment program

  April 1, 2011 1:45 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Marijuana taxes could save the day for an endangered drug and alcohol treatment program threatened by state budget cuts. A bill cleared for a House debate Friday sends $1 million worth of sales taxes collected from medical marijuana sales to the Circle Program at the Colorado... more »

• House okays driving while impaired by marijuana standard

  March 23, 2011 1:45 PM

  DENVER (AP) - An impairment standard for drivers using medical marijuana has won final approval in the Colorado House The House backed the bill on Wednesday, sending it on to the Senate. The bill sets a blood-content threshold to charge marijuana users with driving under the influence. The bill... more »

• Colorado medical pot users mostly men, figures show

  March 13, 2011 2:52 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado Health Department figures show that men make up the vast majority of registered medical marijuana users in the state. The Denver Post reported Sunday that men consistently made up more than 70 percent of the patients listed on the state's medical marijuana registry list between... more »

• Medical marijuana center burglarized Play Video

  March 13, 2011 1:16 AM

  It's a video you have to see to believe. Three men dropping in on a medical marijuana center to burglarize the store early Saturday morning. "We got a call around 5am from our security company." explains Debbie Woodhouse with the Cannabinoids mmj shop near Platte and Circle. It's the... more »

• Marijuana rules changing in Colorado

  February 10, 2011 5:32 PM

  DENVER (AP)-Colorado has nation's most detailed pot law, but state lawmakers are cracking open last year's sweeping medical marijuana rules to make some changes. Marijuana patients are already complaining. They say lawmakers aren't considering changing some rules most hated by the industry-including increased surveillance of pot shops and a... more »

• Colorado's marijuana rules up for public hearing

  January 27, 2011 8:05 AM

  GOLDEN, Colo. (AP)-Rules on how medical marijuana is grown and sold are up for two days of public debate in Colorado. The Colorado Department of Revenue opens a two-day hearing Thursday to consider 99 pages of rules about how medical marijuana is grown and commercially sold. The proposed rules... more »

• Memorial for murdered Pueblo teen Play Video

  January 10, 2011 9:52 AM

  Friends and family have placed candles and personal belongings near the site where a Pueblo teen died in a drug-related shooting last week. Police say Marco Morales, 18, was shot to death by a 16-year-old suspect who was trying to steal marijuana from Morales and two other men. ... more »

• Colo-New Mexico drug ring busted

  January 7, 2011 2:49 PM

  Colorado Attorney General John Suthers provided a press release statement today that his office, working in conjunction with the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force, has made a major bust of a marijuana-distribution ring. The drug ring used state-issued medical marijuana records in an attempt to conceal its distribution of large... more »

• Marijuana patients challenge new regulations

  January 6, 2011 11:13 AM

  Some medical marijuana patients filed a petition yesterday to stop Colorado's looming regulations for how pot is sold. The group of marijuana patients have asked the state's Supreme Court to overturn large parts of two Colorado laws passed last year that will regulate the medical marijuana industry. The patients'... more »

• Marijuana bus ads bother cops

  December 13, 2010 10:51 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Marijuana conference ads on Denver-area buses have law enforcement groups complaining they promote illegal drug use. The ads for this weekend's KushCon "cannabis lifestyle" convention in Denver are believed to be the first marijuana-related advertising on public transit anywhere in the country. The ads say "Have... more »

• Robbery suspects sought Play Video

  December 12, 2010 8:24 AM

  Colorado Springs police are looking for two men who robbed a medical marijuana center Saturday night. The men held the clerk at the SSI Care Center at gunpoint and demanded money and marijuana before leaving through the building's back door. The suspects are described as both being black men,... more »

• Schools, government crack down on fake pot

  November 29, 2010 5:48 PM

  The Drug Enforcement Administration and local schools are cracking down on fake pot products such as "K2", "Mr. Smiley", "Spice" and "Chronic". They're made from synthetic marijuana and are marketed as incense. However, the DEA has temporarily banned these products, which means they can't be sold in stores and you... more »

• Buffer recommended around medical marijuana dispensaries

  November 18, 2010 7:24 PM

  A recommendation for a thousand foot buffer around medical marijuana centers comes from the Colorado Springs Planning Commission. That would mean medical marijuana centers could not operate within 1,000 feet of schools, including colleges and pre-schools. The commission voted 6-1 for the 1,000 foot boundary today, and added child... more »

• 65 pounds of pot seized in bust overnight

  November 12, 2010 5:03 PM

  Local police agencies teamed up for an arrest overnight that resulted in the confiscation of 65 pounds of marijuana and two pounds of hashish. It started with a report in Fountain that someone was trying to sell drugs at the KOA Kampground just off I-25. The suspects left, but... more »

• Recreational marijuana legalization push in Colorado

  November 4, 2010 8:29 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado marijuana activists are launching two separate campaigns to legalize the drug for adults in 2012. The two groups announced their intentions Wednesday and say they're not discouraged by California's rejection of a legalization effort Tuesday. The announcement to launch a legalization drive also comes... more »

• Medical marijuana ban fails; recount likely

  November 3, 2010 10:43 AM

  The vote to ban medical marijuana in El Paso County failed by the slightest of margins. Out of the more than 180,000 cast, the issue was defeated by only 331 votes. The margin is close enough to warrant a mandatory recount. Michael Elliott, campaign manager for Citizens for SAFER... more »

• Troopers make $300K marijuana bust

  October 30, 2010 11:40 AM

  State troopers have arrested a man they say was carrying over $300,000 dollars worth of marijuana in his car. They stopped the 2001 Cadillac CTS at about 10:00 p.m. on Thursday just west of Rock Ford. The driver who is from Northglenn was reportedly speeding and the vehicle's registration had... more »

• Death at marijuana operation attributed to natural causes

  October 22, 2010 2:47 PM

  Pueblo County Sheriff's investigators do not believe a death at a medical marijuana growing operation in Pueblo County was connected to a burglary that same night. Ken Rose, 53, was found dead at a caretaker's house in eastern Pueblo County on August 15. His death was labeled suspicious. An... more »

• Election forum covers local races plus 60, 61 and 101 Play Video

  October 21, 2010 2:46 PM

  News First and Independent election forum covers El Paso County Clerk, Commissioner District 5, Commissioner District 1, Amendments 60, 61 and 101 plus El Paso 1A (marijuana). more »

• Recreational marijuana use on California ballot

  October 20, 2010 12:29 PM

  PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - President Barack Obama's drug czar says federal officials haven't ruled out taking legal action if California voters pass a ballot initiative to legalize recreational medical use. Director of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske is in Southern California on Wednesday for a visit to a... more »

• Colorado taxpayers may subsidize pot cards for poor

  October 20, 2010 11:29 AM

  Medical marijuana cards in Colorado cost $90 - but state health officials are hearing testimony Wednesday on lowering that rate for the poor. The Colorado Board of Health is planning to drop the fee for marijuana cards for patients in poverty. The new indigent rates come after complaints that... more »

• Medical marijuana tax issue on Pueblo ballot Play Video

  October 18, 2010 7:45 PM

  Voters in Pueblo will decide if medical marijuana users should pay an extra 4.3% in sales tax. The city says the tax could be used to help pay for increased law enforcement near dispensaries, but some argue it isn't needed. News First 5 is taking a closer look at ballot... more »

• Colorado Springs hits new high in pot tax revenue

  October 8, 2010 8:21 AM

  The city of Colorado Springs is reporting a record monthly high of nearly $57,000 in sales tax revenue from medical marijuana. The Gazette reports that sales of marijuana and marijuana-infused products generated $56,991 in tax revenue in August, a nearly 12 percent jump from July. So far this... more »

• Grand Junction votes to close marijuana centers

  October 5, 2010 12:45 PM

  The Grand Junction City Council passed a measure to close medical marijuana businesses in the city. The council voted 6-1 to pass the ordinance Monday night. Mayor Teresa Coons was the only member to vote against it. The ordinance requires that all dispensaries and other pot businesses shut... more »

• County Question 1A

  September 30, 2010 8:09 PM

  Supporters of the medical marijuana industry met in downtown Colorado Springs on Thursday to kick off their "No on 1A" campaign. The opposition group calls itself Citizens for Safer Communities. They hope to encourage voters to vote against County Question 1A, which will appear on November's ballot. If... more »

• Veteran apparently lied about war injuries

  September 28, 2010 2:46 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Relatives of a Colorado Army veteran are disputing his assertion that he lost his legs in combat. Kevin Grimsinger told state lawmakers last spring his legs were blown off by a land mine in Afghanistan. He was testifying about medical marijuana. His father, Walt Grimsinger of... more »