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Recreational Marijuana Sales Surpass Medical Cannabis in Colorado SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2014 Sales of recreational marijuana have surpassed sales of medical marijuana for the first time in Colorado, according to an analysis of state tax revenues. Whether recreational marijuana will become a profit center for the state remains in question, Time reports. The state’s recreational marijuana shops opened in January. The state tax on medical marijuana is 2.9 percent, compared with 10 percent for recreational marijuana sold in state stores. In July, the state received $838,711 from medical marijuana taxes, and $2.97 million from recreational marijuana taxes. Consumers bought an estimated $28.9 million worth of medical marijuana at dispensaries, and $29.7 million worth of recreational marijuana at state recreational marijuana stores. The July sales figures boost legalization proponents’ argument that recreational marijuana will be profitable for Colorado, the article notes. In July, an editori...

DEA Will Allow Unused Narcotic Painkillers to be Returned to Pharmacies The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced Monday it will allow unused narcotic painkillers such as OxyContin to be returned to pharmacies. Until now, pharmacies were not allowed to accept unused opioid painkillers. The Controlled Substances Act required patients to dispose of the drugs themselves or give them to law enforcement during twice-yearly national “take-back” events. Consumers will also be permitted to mail unused prescription medications to an authorized collector, in packages that will be available at pharmacies and locations including senior centers and libraries, The New York Times reports. The new regulations are designed to curb the prescription drug abuse epidemic, the DEA said. “These new regulations will expand the public’s options to safely and responsibly dispose of unused or unwanted medications,” DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart said in a news release. “The new rules will all...

Medical marijuana and workplace safety Amid a flurry of new laws, more questions than answers exist Tom MusickAugust 24, 2014 Key points ■State laws vary, but employers still have the right to enforce drug-free workplace policies and dismiss workers if they can prove impairment on the job, experts say. ■The issue remains in flux as legal battles play out in state courts across the country. ■Research is limited on the subject, but two medical organizations recently formed a task force to study workplace health and safety issues associated with marijuana. Julie Carter is well aware of the burgeoning movement to legalize medical marijuana. It’s debated at jobsites. It’s splashed across headlines. It’s discussed among safety professionals. And no matter your stance on the issue, one thing is certain: It’s not going away anytime soon. “I think it’s going to be a hot-button issue for some time yet because things are changing so rapidly,” said Carter, director of environmental, health and...

Employers’ new challenge: drug testing employees for synthetics Companies, testing facilities need to cope with rise in synthetic drug use By Trish Mehaffey, The Gazette Published: August 31 2014 | 12:01 am in News, CEDAR RAPIDS — Manufacturers of synthetic drugs such as K-2 stay one step ahead of the law by changing the chemical make up when one substance is banned. That isn’t only a problem for law enforcement but also for employers as they strive to create safe workplace environments. Employers are now faced with the dilemma of paying an added expense to test employees for synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones, which differ from the regular drug tests. However, those tests may not be reliable because when the products are altered to skirt the law, new drug testing panels have to be developed to detect the recently created products. Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement Special Agent Dan Stepleton said the trend of synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones isn’t going away....