The General
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Colorado - While retail marijuana businesses were banned in Rifle, one type of related business seems to want to operate in the city. At the City Council's Oct. 16 meeting, an ordinance was approved by a 6-1 vote, with Councilwoman Barbara Clifton opposed, to ban retail marijuana, manufacturing and testing businesses. The move had been expected, since two workshops and a previous council meeting resulted in direction to City Attorney Jim Neu to propose such an ordinance.
However, by a 5-2 vote, city council approved an ordinance allowing and regulating marijuana cultivation operations in the city. Those operations must include dual cultivation for retail and medical marijuana businesses, instead of just retail. Councilmen Jonathan Rice and Hans Parkinson voted no. Colorado voters' passage of Amendment 64 in 2012 legalized the use and sale of small amounts of marijuana to adults. The amendment also gave local governments the option of banning such businesses or placing the question before local voters in 2014.
Neu noted the city already has two medical marijuana cultivation operations and two more have applied for city permits to operate. Those requests will be considered by the city planning and zoning commission on Oct. 29. One of the cultivation applicants is Leaf Aspen medical marijuana dispensary. Co-owner Jesse Miller said the business has a medical grow operation near Carbondale, but told council he has no room to expand there to supply recreational plants.
The other applicant is Green Cross Dispensary and Wellness Center, one of five existing medical marijuana businesses in Rifle. Existing cultivation operations are Green Cross Colorado and Green Medicine Wellness. Mayor Randy Winkler said he thought the city should limit the number of cultivation operations to the current two and the two applicants, if they receive city permission.
Neu noted the city council could consider allowing more such operations in the future and added the city would receive fee revenue from the cultivation operations to help pay for local regulatory control over the businesses. In his memo to the council, Neu wrote that the state's regulations allow a licensee to operate under both the Colorado Medical Marijuana Code and the Colorado Retail Marijuana Code in the same licensed premises. Such dual operation facilities will need to comply with the state's rules, operate under both the medical and retail marijuana licensing systems and pay the annual fees, Neu added.
Retail marijuana cultivation operations are limited to the light industrial and industrial zone districts in the city, similar to the location requirement for medical marijuana cultivation operations, Neu wrote in his memo. In addition, a conditional use permit is required from the city's planning commission to ensure a specific property in those zone districts is an appropriate location. City Councilman Jay Miller noted that while "you can't tell which plant goes to a retail business and which to medical marijuana, if an operator only wants to provide marijuana for retail business, I can't support that." Parkinson asked if the city allowed two more cultivation operations, "Where do we stop?" Rice said he viewed cultivation operations as no different than a retail or medical marijuana business and did not want to see any such operations in Rifle.
News Hawk - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Postindependent.com
Author: Mike McKibbin
Contact: Glenwood Springs Colorado ContactUs | PostIndependent.com
Website: Pot growers seek City of Rifle approvals | PostIndependent.com
However, by a 5-2 vote, city council approved an ordinance allowing and regulating marijuana cultivation operations in the city. Those operations must include dual cultivation for retail and medical marijuana businesses, instead of just retail. Councilmen Jonathan Rice and Hans Parkinson voted no. Colorado voters' passage of Amendment 64 in 2012 legalized the use and sale of small amounts of marijuana to adults. The amendment also gave local governments the option of banning such businesses or placing the question before local voters in 2014.
Neu noted the city already has two medical marijuana cultivation operations and two more have applied for city permits to operate. Those requests will be considered by the city planning and zoning commission on Oct. 29. One of the cultivation applicants is Leaf Aspen medical marijuana dispensary. Co-owner Jesse Miller said the business has a medical grow operation near Carbondale, but told council he has no room to expand there to supply recreational plants.
The other applicant is Green Cross Dispensary and Wellness Center, one of five existing medical marijuana businesses in Rifle. Existing cultivation operations are Green Cross Colorado and Green Medicine Wellness. Mayor Randy Winkler said he thought the city should limit the number of cultivation operations to the current two and the two applicants, if they receive city permission.
Neu noted the city council could consider allowing more such operations in the future and added the city would receive fee revenue from the cultivation operations to help pay for local regulatory control over the businesses. In his memo to the council, Neu wrote that the state's regulations allow a licensee to operate under both the Colorado Medical Marijuana Code and the Colorado Retail Marijuana Code in the same licensed premises. Such dual operation facilities will need to comply with the state's rules, operate under both the medical and retail marijuana licensing systems and pay the annual fees, Neu added.
Retail marijuana cultivation operations are limited to the light industrial and industrial zone districts in the city, similar to the location requirement for medical marijuana cultivation operations, Neu wrote in his memo. In addition, a conditional use permit is required from the city's planning commission to ensure a specific property in those zone districts is an appropriate location. City Councilman Jay Miller noted that while "you can't tell which plant goes to a retail business and which to medical marijuana, if an operator only wants to provide marijuana for retail business, I can't support that." Parkinson asked if the city allowed two more cultivation operations, "Where do we stop?" Rice said he viewed cultivation operations as no different than a retail or medical marijuana business and did not want to see any such operations in Rifle.
News Hawk - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Postindependent.com
Author: Mike McKibbin
Contact: Glenwood Springs Colorado ContactUs | PostIndependent.com
Website: Pot growers seek City of Rifle approvals | PostIndependent.com
