Colorado Ski Resort Legalizes Marijuana

A Colorado ski resort is already being dubbed the "the Amsterdam of the Rockies" after legalizing marijuana in the mountain town of Breckenridge, Colorado. The law goes into effect on January 1, 2010.

Breckenridge should remember that Amsterdam has far more than marijuana available without penalty; hopefully they aren't looking at a "red light district," too.

Breckenridge voted last month to relax marijuana laws. Once the new laws go into effect, there will be no criminal or civil penalties for anyone carrying up to an ounce of marijuana. Apparatus (ahem) associated with pot, such as a bong will also be penalty-free.

However, the town of Breckenridge is not without caution. No skiing while stoned is still the rule, under a separate ordinance, and anyone found either using marijuana or skiing while under the influence will be severely punished. That includes, naturally, other types of intoxicants, such as alcohol.

Breckenridge is the second town in the U.S. to decriminalize marijuana. The other is another Colorado city, Denver. However, Breckenridge is the first in America to remove penalties for paraphernalia.

Still, it will remain illegal to buy, sell or grow pot and also to display or use it in public. That means that there will be no Amsterdam-style "coffee shops."

As marijuana is still banned under federal and state law, it is possible that authorities could crack down on its use in Breckenridge, but the Obama administration has already stated that as long as local and state ordinances are followed, it will not step in. It appears, also, that the state will not crack down either.

Baby Denied Health Insurance Because Underweight

People should ask why this doesn't happen to fashion models, as they are frequently underweight. Recently, a baby was denied insurance because it was overweight, according to the insurance company, anyway. Here's an example in the other direction: a baby denied insurance because it is underweight.

Aislin Bates weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces at birth, and now weighs 22 pounds at 2 years of age. However, she's become a "poster child" for insurance reform.

When Aislin's father, Rob, worked for another company, she was covered under the company’s group health insurance plan, but now he is self-employed and finding insurance coverage for Aislin hard to come by.

Aislin's mother, Rachel Bates said:

"She's perfectly healthy, yet she has become a statistic. There's no reason for her to be a statistic as a non-insured person."

The insurance company in question, United Healthcard's Golden Rule, sent the family a letter, which said, in part, "We are unable to provide coverage for Aislin because her height and weight do not meet our company standards."

The company added, however, that "When evaluating height and weight, we typically utilize other factors as well in making a decision, such as medical records that show evidence of treatment or any underlying medical conditions." In this case, Aislin is undergoing treatment for an active gag reflex. The family states she will only require therapy for a few more months.

In the prior case, a 4-month-old boy, Alex Lange, was denied health insurance coverage because, at 17 pounds, he was considered overweight. In that case, Rocky Mountain Health Plans changed its policy; it now says it won't consider obesity a pre-existing condition barring coverage for larger infants.

"Balloon Boy" Found Hiding at Home

Falcon Heene, the six-year-old boy that was believed to have taken off in a flying saucer shaped helium-filled balloon (above) earlier today, has been found. He was found at home, in a box, in the garage.

Originally, it was reported that Falcon Heene's brother told authorities his brother had both climbed into the balloon, he had also untied the tether of the balloon and took off of it. A lengthy search took place, with multiple media sources chasing the balloon.

While officials tried to figure out a way to safely bring down the craft, believing it was carrying the boy, the FAA tried to track the aircraft on radar. As reported on CNN, for some reason, the balloon was not visible on radar.

Denver International Airport, one of the nation's busiest, saw northbound departures from shutdown for a short time, as the balloon traveled northwest of the airport at that time.

The balloon eventually descended, on its own, in a field in Weld County, more than 40 miles away from its origin. Searchers crowded all around it, but no one was found in the balloon, and fears were that little Falcon had fallen off the balloon.

In fact, Falcon Heene did what a six-year-old might do when they find out the police or other authorities are looking for them: he hid. He was found in the attic of the garage in a box.

Falcon, 6, is the son of Richard and Mayumi Heene of Ft. Collins, CO. Richard Heene is a storm chaser and scientist. He often takes his family on storm chases with him. They apparently sleep in their clothes so they can leap from bed and chase a storm. Falcon has two older brothers, Bradford and Ryo.

Additionally, the parents were on "Wife Swap" and returned for a second appearance on the 100th episode of the show. It's good to see this story ended well. On the other hand, you can bet that people will be trying to figure out why it was reported Falcon was on the balloon.

After all the happiness dissipates, one might winder who is going to pay for the rescue effort, as well. That's all for another day. Right now, Falcon is safe.