Pubdate: Mon, 15 Apr 2013
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2013 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: John Ingold
Page: 6A

MARIJUANA BILLS ON LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Colorado's herky-jerky journey regulating legal marijuana embarks on 
a new leg this week when bills codifying the rules for recreational 
pot are expected to be introduced.

The bills - at least three of them - are the work of a special 
committee of lawmakers, which itself built upon suggestions put forth 
by a task force. The full legislature has less than a month before 
the end of its session to sign off on the bills. If it does, 
Colorado's lawmakers would be the first in the nation to create laws 
governing marijuana use by adults and marijuana sales at special retail stores.

One bill is expected to contain a slew of noncontroversial proposals 
created by the task force and endorsed unanimously by the legislative 
committee - things such as educational campaigns around marijuana and 
rules that prohibit pot-infused alcohol. Another bill or bills would 
propose creating 15 percent excise and special sales taxes on 
recreational marijuana. Voters would ultimately have to approve the taxes.

The remaining bill or bills would deal with controversial rules that 
committee members could not reach consensus on, including the 
business structure for recreational pot shops. The committee 
ultimately decided to allow growers and sellers to operate 
separately, but many believe the industry should be "vertically 
integrated" with stores having to grow what they sell.

Though the legislature will be working on a tight time line to pass 
the bills, House Speaker Mark Ferrandino said he is optimistic that 
lawmakers can get the job done.

"We have to limit debate to what the task force looked at and what 
the committee looked at and not try to invent the wheel," Ferrandino, 
D-Denver, said last week. "There has been a lot of work done on what 
is the right policy to move forward."

The legislature isn't the last stop in the regulatory process, 
though. Here's the timeline ahead:

May 8: Last day of the legislative session.

July 1: Deadline for the Department of Revenue to adopt additional regulations.

Oct. 1: Deadline for the Revenue Department to begin accepting 
applications for recreational marijuana stores. If the department has 
not yet adopted regulations for pot shops, local governments can 
begin issuing licenses to the stores.

Jan. 1, 2014: Deadline for the Revenue Department to start issuing 
licenses to pot shops. Recreational marijuana sales begin in Colorado.

Staff writer Lynn Bartels contributed to this report.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom