Strict New Denver Medical Marijuana Regulations
Denver Ctiy Council passed a new set of Medical Marijuana Dispensary regulations that will surely effect new and possibly existing dispensaries.
The new regulations were unanimously approved after a four hour deliberation on Monday January 11. This unanimous decision is a clear indicator of Denver City Council's stance towards medical marijuana dispensaries and it doesn't look good. In fact, chances are high that lawsuits are already being drawn up to fight these new measures.
- Licensing required for Dispensaries
- Buffers of 1,000 feet between shops, schools and child care
- No on-site consumption of marijuana
- Security procedures mandatory-24 Hour Security cameras-Alarm system-Safe attached to building
- Felons prohibited from opening dispensaries
- December 15 2009 cutoff on exemtptions from the buffer requirements
- Must be closed between 9:00 P.M. and 7:00 A.M.
The following fees will now be charged to Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in the City of Denver Colorado:
(1) Application fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,000
(2) Criminal background check fee, per person checked . . . . . Actual costs
(3) License fee, per year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,000
If the state adopts stricter laws, then these new stricter state laws will become the City's default regulations. There is also this little addition:
"The issuance of any license pursuant to this article shall not be deemed to create an exception, defense, or immunity to any person in regard to any potential criminal liability the person may have for the cultivation, possession, sale, distribution, or use of marijuana."
The last one appears to say that even if you follow all the new regulations and are 100% within the law that the Denver Police can still pop you for cultivation, distribution or possession.
These new regulations will likely stop any new dispensaries from opening and could shut down many existing dispensaries that were formed after the December 15 2009 cutoff date. They also leave a question regarding how to decide which shops need closing if they are in too close proximity to each other. If an anti-marijuana activist opens a child care shop with-in 1,000 feet of an existing dispensary does the dispensary have to close?
Here is the new Denver City Council Medical Marijuana Bill as amended on January 4th you can read and interpret for yourself:
Denver Medical Marijuana Regulations
The state will also soon start to add some new regulations based upon the Colorado County Sherrif's Medical Marijuana Bill that will likely be even worse than those adopted by the City of Denver. Limiting a caregiver to only 5 or 6 patients is basically shutting down all existing dispensaries because it's not worth the cost of security,employees, licenses, and rent to only have 5 customers. Anti-constitutional measures like these are only going to raise the price of medical marijuana beyond what most patients can afford and fuel blackmarket acquisition and distribution of meds. This is clearly not what amendment 20 was designed for. Someone with cancer, aids, or other debilitating disease should have easy access to affordable and LEGAL medication.
Discuss this on the Colorado Medical Marijuana Forum