Opinion: Some doctors might not consider marijuana to be medicine, but Coloradans do

In the nine years since Colorado became the first state in the country to legalize adult-use marijuana, three things have become clear: the vast majority of Coloradans support legalization and consider cannabis as medicine (Opinion: After 20 years, it’s clear that marijuana is not ‘medicine’, Colorado Sun, Jan. 4). One closes a loophole by restricting young people with medical cards from accessing unlimited marijuana products, a practice known as “looping.” The other expands the right of students with “valid medical marijuana recommendation(s)” to access their medication at school. Both laws are representative of the consistent collaboration among elected officials, regulators, and public-health experts and the cannabis industry, its customers, and patients. School boards are now required to allow for storage, possession, and administration of medical cannabis by school employees. Chuck Smith, of Denver, is CEO of BellRock Brands and board president for Colorado Leads, the state’s cannabis business alliance.