Pubdate: Wed, 24 Aug 2016
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2016 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: John Aguilar

THORNTON VOTES 5-4 TO ALLOW FOUR RETAIL MARIJUANA SHOPS

The City Officials Voted 5-4 to Allow a Maximum of Four Retail Shops to Open.

Thornton - The state's largest city with an all-out ban on marijuana 
sales decided Tuesday to allow the nascent industry, but not before 
hearing an earful from members of the community.

The Thornton City Council voted 5-4 to allow retail marijuana shops - 
capped at four citywide - to open in this northern suburb of 135,000. 
The city, the sixth largest in Colorado, will start accepting 
applications from would-be dispensary owners Sept. 1.

But plenty of people in packed council chambers took to the 
microphone to denounce the idea and urge civic leaders to vote "no." 
Resident Gina Lanford said the issue should go to the ballot "instead 
of the council making this decision for us."

Others said pot shops would send a bad message to kids and lead to 
more marijuana use in schools.

But several council members said the tax revenue from the proposed 
businesses are badly needed in Thornton. The city believes it will 
collect $1.5 million to $2.5 million a year on sales of pot.

Councilman Joshua Zygielbaum said Thornton lost out on the planned 
Ikea that is slated for Broomfield because it couldn't offer the 
company a competitive incentive package.

More cops are needed in the city, and marijuana dispensaries can help 
raise the tax money to pay for them, he said.

"Yes, part of it comes down to money," he said. "We need to take care 
of our community."

But several dozen residents have written letters and e-mails to the 
city pleading with council members not to pass the measure. Michele 
Gerbrandt, a 15-year Thornton resident, said in an interview that tax 
revenues shouldn't be the main impetus for allowing the cannabis 
industry in the city.

"I don't get motivated just because of money," she said. "I don't see 
anything positive that comes out of retail marijuana."

The council also considered three resolutions dealing with licensing, 
violations and hearing procedures for would-be store owners and 
mulled putting a ballot measure on the November ballot asking voters 
to pass a 5 percent tax on the sales of cannabis in the city. Those 
issues hadn't been addressed as of press time.

Thornton's regulations permit one stand-alone recreational store or 
one dual recreational-medical dispensary per "quadrant" of the city. 
The stores would be permitted to operate between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Stores will have to be at least 1,000 feet from schools and no less 
than 500 feet from day care centers and drug treatment centers. The 
city would use a point system, much like Aurora does, to choose which 
applicants would get to open a store.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom