#weCUregents
The Truth and Wanda James
Secondary Timeline
Includes historical information and media articles
Regent Wanda James is being accused of influencing the Governor and his administration's decisions regarding "The Tea on THC" public education program. The timeline below proves "the wheels were in motion" regarding the fate of The Tea on THC program’s funding well ahead of the program’s marketing materials even being released, and that the reasoning coming from Governor Jared Polis’ office is due to Colorado's decline of marijuana tax revenue. The idea that Regent Wanda James violated any Regent policies seemingly stems from an opinion column in the Denver Gazette, soon followed by a smear campaign website that was sent to the Regents.
March 21, 2025
Denver Gazette publishes third opinion column smearing Regent Wanda James
This time quoting from emails obtained from an open records request and admitting to direct communications with the Regent Chair Callie Rennison and Regent Vice Chair Ken Montera regarding Regent Wanda James. The column also insinuates that the Governor’s office’s January 31, 2025 request for an elimination of funding for the campaign was tied to Regent Wanda James' public criticism.
March 19, 2025
Proposed elimination of "Regulating Marijuana Concentrates from the CU School of Public Health" is reported as declined
Colorado Joint Budget Committee (JBC) releases “Marijuana Tax Cash Fund [MTCF] Update,” showing the Office of State Planning and Budgeting proposed "targeted cuts to programs which have the least alignment with the MTCF, most flexibility, or are least aligned with this administration’s policy goals."
(Text is highlighted on pages 7 and 10 of download)
March 18, 2025
Regents announce a request for investigation into Regent Wanda James
A joint statement released by Regent Chair Callie Rennison and Regent Vice Chair Ken Montera states they requested “an independent review of Regent Wanda James’ recent efforts to eliminate certain state funding for the Colorado School of Public Health.” Later in the statement they say the investigation is “to determine if any regent laws or policies were broken.”
March 17, 2025
Joint Budget Committee declines proposal of "Eliminating the Regulating Marijuana Concentrates from the CU School of Public Health"
Evidence of decision is provided in March 20, 2025 document in timeline above. When an online source has been identified of this decision made on March 17, 2025, it will be updated here.
March 12, 2025
Joint Budget Committee staff recommends Governor Polis' request for funds reduction be approved "given the overall shortage of MTCF [Marijuana Tax Cash Fund] revenue" (pp.88-89)
Joint Budget Committee Staff Department of Higher Education Figure Setting FY 2025-26 Report provides the history of original allocated funding in 2021 , an increase in funding in 2023, and this recent 2024 request to decrease funding.
(Text is highlighted on pages 92-93 of download)
March 7, 2025
Denver Gazette publishes second opinion column smearing Regent Wanda James
Opinion column reveals the column author had access to Regent memo released by CU university counsel Jeremy Heuth on February 28th, and that Regent Chair Callie Rennison and Regent Vice Chair Ken Montera forwarded the personnel memo to Attorney General Phil Weiser and Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission. None of this information had been made available from the Regents to the public.
March 5, 2025
Regent Wanda James appears live on Facebook
Brother Jeff hosts Regent Wanda James to explain the timeline of events and what her and the community’s concerns are. One major point is Regent Wanda James shares she texted the Governor with screenshots of the harmful imagery with concern and that the Governor replied in agreement that the imagery was “horrible.” Nothing else was discussed.
January 31, 2025
Update to Governor's budget proposal sent to Joint Budget Committee with proposal to fully eliminate funds for the public education program
Governor Polis administrator Mark Ferrandino, Director the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, submits letter to chair of Joint Budget Committee, including a statement of "With significant previous funding being allocated to this program, as well as the challenging balancing outlook for the MTCF, this budget update proposes to fully eliminate the MTCF appropriation for this program in FY 2025-26 (pp.6-7)."
(Text is highlighted on pages 6-7 of download)
January 29, 2025
Green Market Report publishes article highlighting Regent Wanda James’ public criticism
Note: Regent Wanda James later said she was slightly misquoted in this article. Regent Wanda James clarified she texted the governor in late January about the images and that he agreed they were horrible.
November 12, 2024
Request by Governor Polis on November 1, 2024 to reduce funding for HB21-1317 funding is presented. Appendix C (line item, p.30)
"Marijuana tax revenue has fallen by over 40 percent since the peak in FY 2021-22." (p.20)
"Looking forward to the future, staff notes that existing appropriations and statutory transfers from the MTCF [Marijuana Tax Cash Fund] are not sustainable under either the OSPB [Office of State Planning and Budgeting] or LCS [Legislative Council Staff] forecast." (p.22-23)
Governor Polis administrator, Jon Catlett, Joint Budget Committee staff, submits Staff Budget Briefing FY 2025-26 Marijuana Policy Overview with statement based on the Office of State Planning and Budgeting's September 2024 projections.
(Text is highlighted on pages 10-11, 21, 23, and 31 of download)