A little-known federal visa program encourages illegal immigrants to help prosecute criminals. The idea was to make sure bad guys weren’t left on the loose because their victims were afraid to call police. But discrepancies in how the visas are both requested and approved mean the intent of the law may be undermined, and could put the public at risk.

Lauren Seaton is a second-year master’s degree candidate in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Prior to graduate school, she spent five years with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, working as a Food and Beverage Manager in Avon, Colo. A New Hampshire native, she graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a Bachelor of Arts degree in writing and studio art. For the past seven years she has called Colorado home.
Jordan Wirfs-Brock is a master’s degree candidate in environmental journalism …

A loophole in Colorado’s medical marijuana rules means thousands of pounds of surplus marijuana are left to feed the black market here and in neighboring states, an I-News investigation has found.
Mouse over this interactive U.S. map to see the details from each state that has legalized or is considering legalizing medical marijuana.
Click here to read the story: Police: Colorado Medical Marijuana Surplus Feeds Regional Black Market

Set your DVR to catch Colorado State of Mind: The Medical Marijuana Surplus. Sunday, Aug. 8 at 5:30am on Rocky Mountain PBS
Medical marijuana is the new bumper crop in Colorado agriculture, but only a certain amount can be trafficked legally. What’s happening with the surplus? We’ll talk about what an I-News investigation reveals, and learn how the state and growers are grappling with it.
Special guests include:

Lauren Seaton, I-News reporter
Matt Cook, Senior Director of Enforcement at Colorado Department of Revenue (overseeing all MM license applications)
Ryan Hartman, Boulder Wellness Center, co-owner
Cami …