At last night’s Denver City Council meeting opinions were voiced on both sides medical marijuana dispensary battle.
More than 300 dispensaries are now operating in the Denver metro area and after last night’s meeting there will be tighter restrictions including setting a 1,000 foot distance requirement from schools and other dispensaries, limits certain felons from operating dispensaries, bars onside consumption of marijuana and sets fees and security measure for the businesses. The new rules are set to effect on March 1.
The voting on the rules was unanimous and it also appears that even with these initial requirements the rapidly growing (in more ways that one) industry in Denver is so new that I’m sure as time goes on and as more and more dispensaries open, there will be new regulations.
As read as last night’s hearing here is the text of Council Bill 34:
C.B. 34, Series of 2010, AS AMENDED, a bill for an ordinance
concerning the licensing and regulation of medical marijuana
dispensaries. (SAFETY)
Establishes a licensing process that medical marijuana dispensaries
serving more than six patients must comply with by March 1, 2010 to
be administered by the Department of Excise and License including:
identifying and conducting background checks of owners, managers,
and certain business partners; prohibiting recent felons from licensure;
prohibiting location of dispensaries in any residential zone; setting
1,000-foot distance requirements from schools, licensed child care
facilities, and other dispensaries, but exempting dispensaries that
obtained retail sales licenses prior to January 1, 2010 from these
spacing requirements; prohibiting on-site consumption of medical
marijuana; requiring submittal of operations plans and setting security
requirements for safe storage, camera surveillance, and use of a 24-
hour alarm system; setting hours of operation and required fees; and
other requirements. Amended 1-4-10 to change the date for
implementation of distance requirements for medical marijuana
dispensaries from January 1, 2010 to December 15, 2009 and to clarify
what constitutes meeting the requirement for obtaining a retail sales
license on or prior to that date. All dispensaries which submitted a
date-stamped application for a retail sales license after the December
15, 2009 deadline must comply with spacing requirements outlined in
the ordinance, i.e. 1000 feet from schools, licensed child care facilities,
and each other.
For the entire amended bill, click here.
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