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