Pubdate: Wed, 24 Jun 2015
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Column: CannaBiz
Copyright: 2015 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Author: Bryce Crawford

CITY TO TAKE ON CANNABIS CLUBS, AND MORE

Mayor targets cannabis clubs

Recently, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers met with City Council 
to reveal his coming legislative priorities. Among goals like buying 
body cameras for the Colorado Springs Police Department and banning 
home-based hash-oil extractions was regulating cannabis social clubs. 
The companies are something of a Springs specialty, with at least 
seven in operation that we're aware of.

Regulatory efforts in this area have been minimal so far. Under the 
direction of Mayor Steve Bach, the city in late 2013 did try to close 
downtown's Studio A64, one of the earliest to open, by saying it 
violated zoning conditions. However, owner KC Stark appealed to City 
Council, which eventually voted in his favor and overturned the 
decision. Nothing else has been mentioned by the city until now.

Unfortunately, we can't tell you what Suthers - who wrote in a 2012 
Gazette editorial that "legalizing pot is wrong for Colorado" - would 
like to see because the new mayor "is not interested in doing an 
interview on this topic at this time," writes spokeswoman Kim Melchor 
in an email. Asked for more information, Melchor says, "The city is 
in the beginning stages of developing an ordinance regarding 
marijuana social clubs and is working to present something to the 
public later this summer. However, at this time we do not have enough 
information to provide any interviews."

Councilor Jill Gaebler says she's now the designated legislator 
working with staff on the regulations, but also says that nothing has 
been finalized.

Regardless of what comes down the pipeline, there isn't a clear 
imperative to act, says Lt. Mark Comte with CSPD's Metro Vice, 
Narcotics and Intelligence Division.

"I haven't gotten a lot of calls," he says. Elaborating on the 
current situation, he adds, "There's so much vagueness in the law 
right now that we just don't really have a dog in the fight, and the 
resources to really go after it until we're asked to or ordered to, 
or it becomes a significant issue with it as far as the public's 
concern. But we have not been directed in any way to really be 
aggressive against these clubs because there's really no laws that 
are in place that they would technically be violating."

Either way, Jaymen Johnson, owner of the popular Speak Easy Vape 
Lounge, welcomes regulation.

"I've always been a big proponent for it," Johnson says. "[Clubs 
should] function much like would an alcohol bar, where it's for 
on-site consumption; that they're not supposed to leave with it; that 
we're not packaging and selling in large quantity. ... The model has 
already proved viable in alcohol in the past. ... We just need to 
learn our lessons from that. These serve a purpose within the 
community, but they need to be regulated in the same fashion."

Keef crumbs

Manitou Springs is considering allowing the two 
recreational-marijuana stores in town to extend their hours from 7 
p.m. to 9 p.m. after both Emerald Fields and Maggie's Farm approached 
the city, reports the Pikes Peak Bulletin (which, disclosure, is 
owned by Indy publisher John Weiss).

"Extending those two hours a day, seven days a week, would generate 
income for them and revenue for us," Councilman Randy Hodges told the 
newspaper.

The move comes after several contentious ballot measures within the 
small town, culminating last year in a 64-to-36-percent vote to keep 
the stores. That mood was echoed in a later letter to the editor in 
the Bulletin: "I wish this City Council and Chamber of Commerce would 
put half the energy into helping our existing businesses thrive and 
prosper that they do in the seemingly vested success they have of a 
pot shop," wrote Keith Ahrens.

The Medical Marijuana Scientific Advisory Council will meet publicly 
at 8:30 a.m., Friday, June 26, in the Carson Room at 4300 Cherry 
Creek Drive South in Glendale. The agenda includes discussion of 
bylaws, grant contracts, the focus of future meetings and, most 
prominently, the petition to add post-traumatic stress disorder to 
the list of conditions considered by the state to be treatable with marijuana.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom