Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
In the 24-hour period following Tuesday's election, the town of Palisade received about 10 phone calls and multiple inquiries from people who want to open up marijuana businesses or grow it on their land.
At this rate there likely will be more interest than opportunity for marijuana businesses, Town Administrator Rich Sales said Thursday.
"I'm pretty sure there are more (businesses) that want to come to Palisade than we would like to see," he said.
After Palisade voters on Tuesday approved five questions related to marijuana businesses and special taxes, town trustees now will be tasked with the heavy lifting of drafting regulations.
Those issues will include whether the town wants to grant its own licenses, after businesses receive licenses from the state. Other details to come include the number of stores and businesses to allow, where businesses will be allowed, hours of operation, signage, and whether stores can sell both medical and recreational marijuana.
Planning, development and local enforcement staff also will have an extra burden, Sales said.
"Do we have to have a staff person to keep up with all the marijuana laws?" he wondered. "It will be interesting. Our job is to follow the lead of the citizens."
Sales said he's also fielded some feedback from locals who are against the recently passed measures allowing retail marijuana and related businesses.
"Some are bemoaning that it passed," he said. "Others are saying it's just a shame."
Unofficial results from Tuesday's election show that between 55 percent and 57 percent of voters passed the five ballot measures.
One of the first issues to tackle will be asking trustees whether they want to see the businesses in the town core or on the outskirts of town, or both, Sales said.
Sales said that although trustees have enacted a moratorium on businesses opening, those bans can be shortened or extended as board members work through the details.
Mayor Roger Granat said he personally would like to see retail marijuana operations outside of the core.
"The town has been trying to keep that feel of the small village," he said.
Granat said he thinks the marijuana measures passed in part because people are understanding the crunch placed on government budgets as energy impact grant funds have dwindled. Also, discussion at a community meeting in September "kind of educated people," he said. "It alleviated some of their fears. The townspeople have seen (retail marijuana come to) Parachute and De Beque, Durango, Ridgway and there doesn't seem to be that big mystery. People were a lot more willing to see it come into town."
Renee Grossman, owner of one of two recreational marijuana stores in Silt, High Q, LLC, said she is hoping to open a recreational marijuana store in Palisade, and she thinks the process is going to be competitive.
"I think the town has shown it really listens to its citizens before it does things," she said.
When Grossman opened her store in Silt, hers was the first recreational marijuana store on the western side of Colorado, she said.
Since then, four stores have opened in Parachute and two stores have opened in De Beque. Still, Grossman said, the Western Slope is underserved and she believes the Palisade area sees a lot of tourist traffic. The possibility that retail marijuana may also be allowed in Grand Junction by the spring also intrigues her.
Grand Junction Cannabis Access Now is working to gather signatures for a ballot measure asking voters to approve retail marijuana establishments.
"I still think Palisade is exciting. I don't know if it's going to be me, but I'm going to approach it like it's a potential," Grossman said.
Jesse Loughman, co-owner of Colorado Alternative Healthcare, 125 Peach Ave., which sells medical marijuana in Palisade, said he is definitely hoping to open a retail marijuana store.
He is not interested in seeing neon lights or gaudy advertising in Palisade that would break with the town's quaint character.
"We want to work with the city and Palisade trustees and get reasonable regulations in town," he said. "We want to do it right the first time. We don't want to go back and have issues with it."
Loughman said it would also be helpful if those interested in the issues participated in town meetings.
"They can express what they do and don't want to see," he said. "The more people we can get to the table on both sides, the better.
"The fact of the matter is, it's going to be here."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Pot Entrepreneurs Sniff Out Palisade
Author: Amy Hamilton
Contact: 970-242-5050
Photo Credit: Christopher Furlong
Website: The Daily Sentinel
At this rate there likely will be more interest than opportunity for marijuana businesses, Town Administrator Rich Sales said Thursday.
"I'm pretty sure there are more (businesses) that want to come to Palisade than we would like to see," he said.
After Palisade voters on Tuesday approved five questions related to marijuana businesses and special taxes, town trustees now will be tasked with the heavy lifting of drafting regulations.
Those issues will include whether the town wants to grant its own licenses, after businesses receive licenses from the state. Other details to come include the number of stores and businesses to allow, where businesses will be allowed, hours of operation, signage, and whether stores can sell both medical and recreational marijuana.
Planning, development and local enforcement staff also will have an extra burden, Sales said.
"Do we have to have a staff person to keep up with all the marijuana laws?" he wondered. "It will be interesting. Our job is to follow the lead of the citizens."
Sales said he's also fielded some feedback from locals who are against the recently passed measures allowing retail marijuana and related businesses.
"Some are bemoaning that it passed," he said. "Others are saying it's just a shame."
Unofficial results from Tuesday's election show that between 55 percent and 57 percent of voters passed the five ballot measures.
One of the first issues to tackle will be asking trustees whether they want to see the businesses in the town core or on the outskirts of town, or both, Sales said.
Sales said that although trustees have enacted a moratorium on businesses opening, those bans can be shortened or extended as board members work through the details.
Mayor Roger Granat said he personally would like to see retail marijuana operations outside of the core.
"The town has been trying to keep that feel of the small village," he said.
Granat said he thinks the marijuana measures passed in part because people are understanding the crunch placed on government budgets as energy impact grant funds have dwindled. Also, discussion at a community meeting in September "kind of educated people," he said. "It alleviated some of their fears. The townspeople have seen (retail marijuana come to) Parachute and De Beque, Durango, Ridgway and there doesn't seem to be that big mystery. People were a lot more willing to see it come into town."
Renee Grossman, owner of one of two recreational marijuana stores in Silt, High Q, LLC, said she is hoping to open a recreational marijuana store in Palisade, and she thinks the process is going to be competitive.
"I think the town has shown it really listens to its citizens before it does things," she said.
When Grossman opened her store in Silt, hers was the first recreational marijuana store on the western side of Colorado, she said.
Since then, four stores have opened in Parachute and two stores have opened in De Beque. Still, Grossman said, the Western Slope is underserved and she believes the Palisade area sees a lot of tourist traffic. The possibility that retail marijuana may also be allowed in Grand Junction by the spring also intrigues her.
Grand Junction Cannabis Access Now is working to gather signatures for a ballot measure asking voters to approve retail marijuana establishments.
"I still think Palisade is exciting. I don't know if it's going to be me, but I'm going to approach it like it's a potential," Grossman said.
Jesse Loughman, co-owner of Colorado Alternative Healthcare, 125 Peach Ave., which sells medical marijuana in Palisade, said he is definitely hoping to open a retail marijuana store.
He is not interested in seeing neon lights or gaudy advertising in Palisade that would break with the town's quaint character.
"We want to work with the city and Palisade trustees and get reasonable regulations in town," he said. "We want to do it right the first time. We don't want to go back and have issues with it."
Loughman said it would also be helpful if those interested in the issues participated in town meetings.
"They can express what they do and don't want to see," he said. "The more people we can get to the table on both sides, the better.
"The fact of the matter is, it's going to be here."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Pot Entrepreneurs Sniff Out Palisade
Author: Amy Hamilton
Contact: 970-242-5050
Photo Credit: Christopher Furlong
Website: The Daily Sentinel
