Jason Lauve never thought he’d become an activist, but after a Boulder County jury acquitted him of felony drug possession last summer, Lauve found himself thrust into the spotlight and became something of a folk hero to medical marijuana patients.

Now, the Louisville man, who won his case and had two pounds of medicinal marijuana returned to him, is using his notoriety to launch a magazine written by marijuana patients for marijuana patients.

Lauve is gearing up to release the fourth edition of Cannabis Health News Magazine, which will be available at hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries across the state.

The free magazine is a blend of science, education and politics. It contains articles about patient experiences with the drug, the latest research into marijuana and its derivatives, updates on marijuana laws and the occasional pointed political statement.

There’s even a crossword with answers that you won’t find in The New York Times’ version.

But what it won’t ever contain, Lauve said, is a picture of a pot leaf on the cover.

“We want our readers to be comfortable reading it anywhere,” he said.

Lauve said the magazine is geared toward educating current and future patients about the benefits of medical marijuana and the emerging science behind it.

“We didn’t feel there was enough information for the patients out there,” he said. “It was all recreational and lifestyle.”

Currently, the magazine is publishing about 30,000 copies and is distributed in hundreds of dispensaries, Lauve said. It’s supported almost entirely by ads purchased by dispensaries, manufacturers of smoking accessories and attorneys eager to cash in on the budding industry.

Lauve said he and a few close friends make up the bulk of the staff, and have invested about $50,000 in the venture so far. The magazine has yet to turn a profit, he said.

The publisher’s goal is to have the magazine distributed in most medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado soon, and on a national level one day. To help reach that goal, Lauve said he’s been traversing the state to personally visit more than 400 dispensaries.

Cannabis Health News was created in the days following Lauve’s acquittal last year.

Lauve joined the state’s medical marijuana registry after he was severely injured by a snowboarder who plowed into him at Eldora Mountain Resort in 2004. He said the collision reduced him from an avid cyclist and expert telemark skier to someone who relies on a cane and wheelchair to get around.

Where to read: Cannabis Health News Magazine is distributed at select dispensaries across Colorado. It is also available online.

Acting on a tip from a neighbor, law enforcement authorities seized 34 ounces of marijuana from Lauve’s home on June 26, 2008. Prosecutors claimed he violated the law by possessing far more than the 2 ounces of usable pot and six plants permitted by state law.

Lauve fought the charges of drug possession, and was acquitted by a Boulder County jury in August 2009. Now, his former attorney, Rob Corry, is a contributor to the magazine.

Corry said Lauve is uniquely qualified to explain the ins and outs of medical marijuana issues to other patients.

“There’s no question there’s a big role for somebody like Jason to play,” Corry said. “He lived the consequences of the prejudice against medical marijuana patients and it really enhanced his understanding about this.”

The criminal case cast a bright light on Colorado’s decade-old medical marijuana law, which lets patients with chronic pain and in debilitating health obtain a state-issued ID card clearing them to grow and buy pot.

But it also changed Lauve’s career path from teacher and graphic designer to publisher and activist.

“I’m glad to see somebody taking what was a very difficult situation and turning it into a positive,” Corry said. “I hope this magazine continues to be a success.”

Contact Camera Staff Writer Heath Urie at 303-473-1328 or urieh@dailycamera.com.