The Law
Amendment 20– Colorado’s Medical Marijuana Law
In November of 2000, voters of the state of Colorado passed Amendment 20 to the state’s constitution which effectively legalized medical marijuana.
Amendment 20 allows people with certain debilitating medical conditions to access marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. It also creates a licensing process which allows caregivers to assist patients with accessing this medicine. A number of factors have led to a rapid increase in growth in this health care field. Locally, the Colorado Board of Health, in July 2009, publicly denied an attempt to limit the number of patients a caregiver can assist. Nationally, the Obama administration announced its intention to to halt raids on law-abiding medical marijuana dispensaries. As a result of these events, the medical marijuana program has experienced considerable growth, and dispensary and caregiver services have arisen to fill the needs of this community.
