Pubdate: Wed, 01 Aug 2012
Source: Gazette, The (Colorado Springs, CO)
Copyright: 2012 The Gazette
Contact: http://www.gazette.com/sections/opinion/submitletter/
Website: http://www.gazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/165
Author: Bob Stephens

COUNTY AMENDS MEDICAL POT POLICY

El Paso County commissioners approved a resolution last week to amend 
the county's medical marijuana policy.

Attorney Charles Houghton represented two medical marijuana 
dispensary owners who sat through six hours of the board's meeting 
before commissioners dispensed with other business and reached their 
agenda item.

"It was a very good day," said Houghton, who has more than a dozen 
medical marijuana businesses for clients. "Both of my clients got 
what they wanted. County commissioners are cognizant that the 
industry is changing and are aware they need to make some changes in 
policy. I'm very happy they did."

Instead of a dispensary's requirement to do a neighborhood survey 
before opening or changing location, it must provide public notice 
via registered mail to property owners within a half-mile of the 
dispensary's proposed location.

Dispensaries may not be within 1,000 feet - it was 500 feet - of a 
residence, school, church, parks, college campus, state-licensed 
childcare facility, or state-licensed drug or alcohol treatment facility.

Regulations were eased for a dispensary moving to a different part of 
the same lot.

"One of my clients was moving two doors down and it would've taken 
several months to do the survey and get back before commissioners," 
Houghton said.

Assistant county attorney Lori Seago said she doesn't consider the 
policy changes significant.

"We simply had some cleanup items," Seago said. "Businesses already 
in existence won't be affected much. The most significiant change was 
eliminating the neighborhood survey. The change from 500 to 1,000 
feet doesn't affect any existing business, I don't think. That 
shouldn't have a big impact."

Houghton said county policy differs greatly from the medical 
marijuana policy adopted by Colorado Springs.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom