Author Archives
Many people know Teri Robnett as the medical marijuana patient advocate Rx MaryJane. Teri is the Founder and Executive Director of Colorado-based Cannabis Patients Alliance, considered the most effective political voice for patients in the state.
A medicinal cannabis patient herself, Teri was diagnosed with fibromyalgia nearly three decades ago in 1987. In that time she tried nearly every drug and treatment available to control her pain, fatigue and other symptoms. In the spring of 2009 she was introduced to the medicinal benefits of cannabis, and her life was changed forever. In 2011, she gave up the last of her prescription medications and now uses cannabis exclusively to control her symptoms.
In 2012, Teri burst onto the political scene when her testimony and advocacy helped to defeat the 5ng THC for DUI bill in the Colorado Legislature. With marijuana legalization on the ballot, she and her husband actively campaigned to elect cannabis-friendly candidates.
In 2013, she followed the Governor's Task Force on Amendment 64, lobbied for cannabis patients rights at the State Capitol throughout the legislative session, and spent the remainder of the year working with counties and local communities in developing reasonable regulations regarding marijuana.
Teri was recognized as the Most Valuable Advocate in 2013 at the Cannabis Business Awards.
In 2014, she was appointed to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Scientific Advisory Council, which oversees the disbursement of $9 million in grants for medical marijuana research, and to the Marijuana Education Oversight Committee that developed the state's Good to Know campaign.
Teri has served on Rulemaking Groups by the Marijuana Enforcement Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue: Medical Differentiation (2013), Edible Product Production Safety (2013), and Testing, Packaging and Labeling (2015). And on the CDPHE's Working Group on Testing for Patients and Caregivers (2015-16).
Teri has recently been appointed to the City of Boulders Marijuana Advisory Council, and has joined the Colorado School of Public Health's stakeholders group overseeing a Marijuana and Child Welfare Assessment.
Teri regularly meets with legislators, policy-makers, and advocates from across the country and the world to discuss issues important to medical marijuana patients and act as a trusted advisor on policies affecting patients and cannabis consumers overall.
Teri is a Colorado native, a mother and grandmother, and one of the foremost experts on marijuana policy in Colorado.
Andrew Freedman, Colorado Director of Marijuana Coordination, referred to Teri as "THE Patient Advocate for Colorado". With her depth of knowledge and expertise, it's easy to see why.
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Obstructionists are alive and well in Denver
Smart Colorado is now openly obstructing the hearing process for marijuana stores in Denver, and certain members of the Denver City Council are more than willing to enable them. City Council members who lost in committee and lost in Council,… Read More ›
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Blast from the Past: Voters approve medical marijuana
Voters approve medical marijuana November 8, 2000 By Kevin Flynn Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer It will soon be legal for some chronically ill people to possess and use marijuana in Colorado. However, it still will be illegal for… Read More ›
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The Scandal of Racist Marijuana Arrests—and What To Do About It (The Nation)
The federal government has subsidized the criminalization of millions of young people simply for having a small amount of pot. Why are marijuana arrests so racially skewed? Such dramatic and widespread racial disparities are clearly not the product of personal… Read More ›
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Baking Bad: A Potted History of ‘High Times’
The editors of the nation’s most popular pot magazine on its four decades-long fight to end cannabis prohibition. High Times was conceived in classic outlaw fashion. Founded by a successful pot smuggler and radical ’60s activist named Thomas King Forçade, it… Read More ›
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How do marijuana taxes compare?
On Tuesday, Colorado voters will decide whether or not to overtax marijuana. How do state pot taxes compare to other so-called “sin taxes,” charges on goods deemed unnecessary or even harmful? Take a look: MARIJUANA: Colorado voters are considering a… Read More ›
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Denver Mayor Hancock wants to protect people from being offended by marijuana
Today my husband and I attended Mayor Hancock’s Cabinet in the Community Breakfast in Councilwoman Susan Shepherd’s District 1. There was a sizable crowd; a few familiar politicos like Police Chief Robert White, Rep. Dan Pabon and Councilwoman Debbie Ortega, but… Read More ›