Pubdate: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 Source: Tribune, The (Greeley, CO) Copyright: 2010sThe Greeley Publishing Co. Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/2T4s2YlD Website: http://www.greeleytribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3165 Note: Note: typically publishes LTEs from circulation area only Author: Colin Lindenmayer Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/topic/Dispensaries Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) MEDICAL MARIJUANA CROPS UP AGAIN ON EVANS CITY COUNCIL AGENDA EVANS -- Medical marijuana has become a hot topic on the Evans City Council agenda once again. The council plans to pass an emergency ordinance extending the moratorium approved Jan. 19 that prohibits the creation of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. The current moratorium, also passed using an emergency ordinance, expires July 19. At the council's June 1 work session, the unofficial consensus was that the moratorium should be extended another six months. The decision will come at Tuesday's city council meeting. The medical marijuana issue remains on the front burner as other Colorado municipalities have recently enacted or extended medical marijuana dispensary moratoriums. Gov. Bill Ritter signed two bills on June 7 that were passed by state lawmakers this session. The bills were designed to rein in the growing number of marijuana dispensaries and growers. Evans Mayor Lyle Achziger said Saturday in a telephone interview that the city began leaning toward the moratorium extension because initial discussions were held before Ritter approved the bills. Achziger said the council continues on that path so it can find out what the bills' terms are and allow challenges to the bill to be sorted out. Achziger also said he didn't expect a lot of public feedback on the issue because the council hadn't received much in January. One of the bills Ritter signed last week requires that only doctors in good standing be able to recommend medical marijuana. The other sets up a uniform set of rules for marijuana dispensaries and growers statewide. Both laws take effect immediately. Cities and counties are able ban dispensaries within their borders. In places where they're allowed, owners will have to undergo criminal background checks. Dispensaries must grow 70 percent of their marijuana, a provision aimed at keeping tabs on where the drug is being sold. Even with the new rules, the future of dispensaries is unclear in many cities and towns. Aurora officials are considering whether to allow voters to decide in November whether dispensaries in the city should be banned altogether. Dacono Mayor Charles Sigman said he has been hesitant to support dispensary restrictions because of possible legal action that could be taken against the city. "We don't want them in our community. I don't know anybody that wants them in their community," Sigman said. "On the other hand, we didn't want to open ourselves to a lawsuit or violate people's state constitutional rights, either." The city adopted regulations for a special-use permit for dispensaries last fall, but officials approved a six-month moratorium on new dispensaries last month after the Legislature passed its medical marijuana bill. "Now we have a leg to stand on," Sigman said. "Now that the state's moving forward, let's go ahead and put our moratorium in place and see how things play out." - --- The Associated Press contributed to this report. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom