SB 17-275

Senate Bill 17-275 is a Colorado law that uses marijuana tax money to fund research on how effective different strains of medical marijuana are for health conditions. It allows licensed marijuana facilities to give their products to researchers and pesticide makers for testing in controlled amounts, as long as the labs doing the tests meet certain standards set by the state’s public health department. The bill also stops government agencies from using test results from uncertified labs. This law was signed into effect on January 1, 2018, meaning it is now active and being implemented.

Official Summary

Section 1 of the bill directs the department of public health and environment to use marijuana taxes to make research grants regarding the medical efficacy of Colorado-grown strains of medical marijuana. Sections 2 and 3 allow a licensed medical or retail marijuana facility to transfer marijuana to a research facility for purposes of the medical research. Sections 2 and 3 also: Allow the use of medical or retail marijuana by a pesticide manufacturer in limited quantities as specified in rules promulgated by the state licensing authority that authorize a pesticide manufacturer to conduct research to establish safe and effective protocols for the use of pesticides on medical or retail marijuana; and Prohibit a state, local, or municipal agency from employing or using the results of a test of medical or retail marijuana conducted by an analytical laboratory that is not certified by the department of public health and environment and accredited to an accepted industry standard in that field of testing. The bill appropriates $62,210 from the marijuana cash fund to the department of revenue to implement the act, of which $19,010 and 0.1 FTE is reappropriated to the department of law. The act takes effect January 1, 2018. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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