Bill to raise age limit to buy high-potency marijuana products in Colorado dies in committee

A bill that aimed to increase the age limit to purchase certain marijuana products in Colorado died in committee recently amid opposition from the cannabis industry.

Senate Bill 76, introduced in January, proposed myriad new regulations for the state’s industries dealing with intoxicating substances, such as cannabis and psilocybin. Most notably, the bill sought to raise the legal age to purchase marijuana products with more than 10% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency to 26 from 21.

The bill was postponed indefinitely in mid-March because “we didn’t have the support we needed,” Sen. Judy Amabile, a Boulder Democrat and one of the bill’s sponsors, said by email.

The bill’s goal, she said, was to prioritize public health and address concerns related to young adults’ use of high-potency cannabis concentrates, some of which can be up to 80% or 90% THC.

“I believe that if Colorado’s marijuana industry would diversify to offer a greater percentage of lower-potency products, while also making clear the risks of consuming higher-potency products, we would see better outcomes for consumer safety and overall industry success,” Amabile said. “SB25-076 was an attempt to move us in that direction.”

Cannabis advocates criticized the bill in the weeks after it was introduced, saying it infringed on voters’ rights and threatened to push consumers to purchase weed on the illicit market.

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