Get Active Subscribe Support Us

NEW MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE PASSES

RIFLE -- Medical marijuana-infused products, such as brownies, cupcakes or any other food containing medical marijuana, must be made in a kitchen solely used for that purpose, according to an emergency ordinance passed by the Rifle City Council last week.

The ordinance went into effect immediately.

Council revised their existing medical marijuana ordinance to include the infused products in order to come into compliance with state law.

"Our original ordinance addressed distribution ( of medical marijuana ) through dispensaries and cultivation," said Mayor Keith Lambert.  "But it didn't include infused products.  It didn't come to our attention until the state law was passed."

The ordinance now includes the words "medical marijuana business" and requires a separate application and permit for producing medical marijuana-infused products, which is essentially defined as a "small bakery the size of a residential kitchen that sells baked goods infused with medical marijuana to dispensaries where they are sold to medical marijuana cardholders."

Those who want to open a medical marijuana facility have until July 1, 2010 to do so, when a bill putting a moratorium on medical marijuana operations was recently signed by Gov.  Bill Ritter.  The bill includes significant licensing requirements, including that dispensaries grow 70 percent of their own marijuana and regulates where "edible" marijuana products may be sold.

As of earlier this month, the city had three new medical marijuana applications taken out.  The city currently has four existing medical marijuana dispensaries.

Colorado voters approved the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in 2000, although possession and use of marijuana is still against federal law.