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A pair of bills that would have changed rules around marijuana and THC-infused drinks in Colorado died this week after the sponsors yanked them ahead of their first votes.
The bills were withdrawn ahead of committee votes Tuesday. One of them, Senate Bill 164, would have expanded the market for hemp-based beverages infused with THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
If passed, the bill would have increased the amount of THC allowed in hemp drinks to make them more attractive for sale in venues and liquor and grocery stores. The drinks could not be derived from marijuana or synthetic or semisynthetic cannabinoids.
Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat sponsoring the measure, said backers sought to “reestablish Colorado as a leader in this industry” with the bill, and she listed off other states with more permissive rules around these types of beverages.
But a lack of “political will” led her to kill it ahead of its first vote.
Currently, hemp-derived THC beverages can be sold in bars and liquor stores, but only if they contain 1.75 milligrams of THC or less per serving. The bill would have upped the limit to 10 milligrams per 12-ounce serving.
The second measure that died, Senate Bill 161, would have referred to voters a proposal to move testing of marijuana products to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and rework the sales tax for marijuana to base it on potency instead of volume.
Sponsor Sen. Marc Snyder, a Manitou Springs Democrat, said the measure was intended “to address the lack of vigorous testing” for marijuana products. Sen. Kyle Mullica, a Thornton Democratic co-sponsor, said he hoped to use taxation to help keep marijuana out of the hands of children.
However, Snyder said he needed more time to properly seek feedback on the proposal. Snyder joined the bill late, after the original sponsor, Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, resigned from the legislature in February.
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