A new piece of legislation under review in the Senate could decriminalize cannabis at the federal level and push state and local governments to act fast to regulate the emerging market. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, introduced Senate Bill “420” this month to support a similar bill in the House that would give states the power to legalize marijuana, opening up new tax revenues and authorizing national insurance and financial institutions to provide support to cannabis businesses. While previous cannabis legalization bills have failed in the House and Senate before, pro-cannabis legislators and lobbying groups are optimistic based on a number of new market… Continue reading

Tags: cannabis, cannabis regulation, civic solution for cannabis regulation, marijuana

How often do you take a large black market, flip a switch and turn it into a highly regulated one? When Colorado legalized retail sales of cannabis in 2014, license applications poured into the City and County of Denver. While city officials had spent months preparing, they still faced the mammoth task of managing the demands of a novel regulatory program that came with unforeseen, real-time challenges and a high degree of outside scrutiny. Responding to those demands involved a coordinated effort across multiple city departments utilizing industry-leading technology to streamline application intake, back-office workflows, field inspections and community engagement. As cannabis continues to emerge from the shadows, local governments will need to stand up regulatory processes that… Continue reading

Tags: cannabis, cannabis licensing, cannabis licensing application, cannabis licensing software, civic solution for cannabis regulation, Government Software, marijuana, smart cities