Paige Figi hasn’t spoken publicly about her daughter Charlotte in the 10 months since the teenager’s passing. It’s an unusual, if welcome, change of pace considering the Colorado Springs duo spent nearly a decade in the spotlight leading a crusade for medicinal marijuana that helped change both laws and lives. Charlotte, whose battle with Dravet syndrome and subsequent treatment popularized the use of cannabidiol, or CBD, died last April after contracting what the family suspects was COVID-19. The 13-year-old later was cremated, Figi said, but the pandemic prevented her parents from making any funeral plans. That is, until now. On April 7 — officially dubbed Charlotte Figi Day in Colorado — family, friends and fans are invited to join a virtual celebration of life called Rock the RoC. Host...
A Denver-based company hopes to be the state’s first to study the effects of marijuana on Alzheimer’s disease, thanks to a newly available research and development license in the city. MedPharm Holdings plans to apply for a Denver marijuana R&D license to test delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids’ effects on Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.8 million Americans have the disease, a degenerative brain disorder that affects a person’s memory and thinking skills. While there are drugs that help ease symptoms, they do not change the course of the disease. Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.
Mile High Labs, one of Colorado’s leading CBD producers, laid off employees this week, just months after undergoing a major expansion. According to chief financial officer Jon Hilley, the company cut 20 positions — less than 10% of its workforce — on Thursday. They primarily were those in entry-level sales jobs. Mile High Labs employed more than 250 people before the layoff, Hilley said. The news comes about three months after the company moved from Boulder into an $18.8 million, 400,000-square-foot facility in Broomfield, where it extracts and processes hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD. Hemp has negligible amounts of THC, the ingredient that gives the plant’s cousin marijuana its high. Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.