Pubdate: Fri, 18 Jun 2010
Source: Telluride Daily Planet (CO)
Copyright: 2010 Telluride Daily Planet, A Division of Womack Publishing Company
Contact: http://www.telluridenews.com/forms/letters/
Website: http://www.telluridenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3881
Author: Kathrine Warren
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/topic/Dispensaries

MV CONSIDERS DISPENSARY REGULATION

In light of the recent passage of state medical  marijuana 
legislation, the Town of Mountain Village is  considering how to 
license and regulate medical  marijuana dispensaries in Telluride's 
sister city once  its moratorium expires in November.

James Nerlin, an attorney with the law firm Reed &  Gilbert, 
presented House Bill 1284 to the council and  explained what it means 
for Mountain Village.

"There are a lot of options in terms of allowing  restrictions on the 
local level," Nerlin said.

HB 1284 is the end product of months of back and forth  between 
Colorado lawmakers that addresses Colorado's  booming medical 
marijuana industry.

The legislation requires dispensaries to be licensed  through the 
state and local municipalities and leaves  it up to local government 
to decide if and how they  will permit dispensaries. The state will 
license  dispensaries similar to liquor stores through 
the  Department of Revenue.

Local regulation can also determine how they zone  dispensaries and 
how dispensaries can advertise their  services.

Patients with a medical marijuana card can still grow  their own 
marijuana or purchase it from a designated  caregiver.

Mountain Village enacted an emergency moratorium on  business 
licenses for hopeful dispensary retailers last  November that is 
still in place. It will expire this  November.

It was enacted because council felt dispensaries didn't  fit Mountain 
Village's family friendly tourism image.

HB 1284 will enact a statewide moratorium on new  dispensary licenses 
on July 1, and by Aug. 1 all  facilities in the state already 
operating must apply  for a state license through the Department of Revenue.

Town attorney David Reed explained the council's  options.

They could adopt 1284 as a local ordinance, adopt their  own 
ordinance that is stricter than the state  legislation or just 
prohibit medical marijuana  dispensaries in Mountain Village all together.

He told council to plan on making a decision by  December 2010 or January 2011.

"We should go out there and talk to people and see what  they think 
to shape our thinking in six months," Mayor  Bob Delves said.

Council agreed to gauge the opinion of Mountain Village  residents 
before an ordinance of any sort is drafted  and considered.

Despite Mountain Village's current moratorium, medical  marijuana 
patients have not been left high and dry --  there are at least five 
dispensaries currently  operating in the Town of Telluride.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom