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Pueblo County took a historic step Wednesday by implementing the regulatory framework for the recreational marijuana industry.
After about a three-hour public meeting consumed mainly by recreational pot – made legal in last year's election – commissioners unanimously passed policies and controls for applying and licensing, enforcement and the annual fee schedule for retail business.
"We're clearly going into new territory, not just in Pueblo County but in Colorado and nationally. This has been a long and arduous process. It has not been easy," said Commissioner Sal Pace, who led the county's regulatory efforts.
After some public negotiation, mainly with medical marijuana dispensary owners, commissioners accepted the regulations.
Issues were raised about the fee schedule and limiting the number of dispensaries that can transition to retail next year. But some compromises were made.
Commissioners did not vote on new business zoning policies. The county and dispensary owners were at odds over some issues and the decision was made to postpone the vote and revisit proposals. Commissioners are scheduled to vote on zoning policies Oct. 21.
After passing the business regulations, the audience of about 30 applauded the commissioners.
"I think commissioners Sal Pace, Buffie McFadyen and Terry Hart have done a great job listening to the community and the voters by implementing these regulations," said Hank Borunda, owner of The Greener Side dispensary.
Borunda welcomed the new regulations, which mirror the county's medical marijuana rules, and the new fee schedule, which many dispensary owners said was too high.
"Hey, the cream always rises to the top," Borunda said.
The new fees could cost businesses more than $35,000 in licensing and operating. Before, under medical marijuana rules, dispensaries only paid three fees. There are eight fees for recreational – retail store, cultivation facility, infused-product manufacturing (edibles, ointments, etc.) and warehouse storage.
There's a fee for testing facilities, but those operations run separate from retail.
There are additional fees that cover the size of pot grows. For indoor grows, the county will charge 50 cents per square foot for the size of the grow and 25 cents per square foot of an outdoor grow.
Grow fees, along with annual renewal fees, were reduced after public negotiation.
The county's dual license fees are separate from state fees.
"This is our effort to try and compromise. We're more than welcome to have future conversations on improving things," Commissioner Terry Hart told the crowd.
The fee schedule was structured to pay for county services, including local enforcement. Commissioner Liane "Buffie" McFadyen said that the state's enforcement woes have forced that responsibility onto the county.
"Part of the reason we've taken the fees so serious is we don't know how the state enforcement side will go," she said.
With Wednesday's vote came a yearlong moratorium on the number of new recreational businesses that can open in Pueblo.
The market is capped at 10 shops, which allows Pueblo's six existing dispensaries to transition to retail along with four businesses currently going through medical marijuana application process.
Under state law, medical marijuana dispensaries will be the first to transition to retail. In Pueblo, those applying for medical status have until the end of the year to obtain their license and open for retail in 2014.
The county says that limiting businesses reduces stress on county resources and stabilizes the market.
Sean Sheridan is a Philadelphia transplant who moved to Colorado Springs four years ago to enter the marijuana business. He works as an industry consultant and challenged commissioners on zoning, fees and making the local market friendlier to outside business.
"I don't think it is the commissioners' interest to protect the interest of a half-dozen people in the county. It's unfortunate people aren't well-capitalized. But to be fair, life's hard," Sheridan said.
"Greater than Pueblo is Colorado. I don't know why you restrict it to 20 or 15 or 112 (businesses). I don't understand why you'd put things in place to make it harder to keep people in business."
Pueblo is one of the few counties that has chosen to regulate marijuana over imposing a moratorium.
The county, after several public work sessions and meetings with the marijuana community, had expected Wednesday to pass policies on regulations and zoning.
"When we are going into uncharted territory, some hiccups happen along the way," Pace said.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: chieftain.com
Author: Nick Bonham
Contact: The Pueblo Chieftain | Contact
Website: The Pueblo Chieftain | County OKs recreation pot regs
After about a three-hour public meeting consumed mainly by recreational pot – made legal in last year's election – commissioners unanimously passed policies and controls for applying and licensing, enforcement and the annual fee schedule for retail business.
"We're clearly going into new territory, not just in Pueblo County but in Colorado and nationally. This has been a long and arduous process. It has not been easy," said Commissioner Sal Pace, who led the county's regulatory efforts.
After some public negotiation, mainly with medical marijuana dispensary owners, commissioners accepted the regulations.
Issues were raised about the fee schedule and limiting the number of dispensaries that can transition to retail next year. But some compromises were made.
Commissioners did not vote on new business zoning policies. The county and dispensary owners were at odds over some issues and the decision was made to postpone the vote and revisit proposals. Commissioners are scheduled to vote on zoning policies Oct. 21.
After passing the business regulations, the audience of about 30 applauded the commissioners.
"I think commissioners Sal Pace, Buffie McFadyen and Terry Hart have done a great job listening to the community and the voters by implementing these regulations," said Hank Borunda, owner of The Greener Side dispensary.
Borunda welcomed the new regulations, which mirror the county's medical marijuana rules, and the new fee schedule, which many dispensary owners said was too high.
"Hey, the cream always rises to the top," Borunda said.
The new fees could cost businesses more than $35,000 in licensing and operating. Before, under medical marijuana rules, dispensaries only paid three fees. There are eight fees for recreational – retail store, cultivation facility, infused-product manufacturing (edibles, ointments, etc.) and warehouse storage.
There's a fee for testing facilities, but those operations run separate from retail.
There are additional fees that cover the size of pot grows. For indoor grows, the county will charge 50 cents per square foot for the size of the grow and 25 cents per square foot of an outdoor grow.
Grow fees, along with annual renewal fees, were reduced after public negotiation.
The county's dual license fees are separate from state fees.
"This is our effort to try and compromise. We're more than welcome to have future conversations on improving things," Commissioner Terry Hart told the crowd.
The fee schedule was structured to pay for county services, including local enforcement. Commissioner Liane "Buffie" McFadyen said that the state's enforcement woes have forced that responsibility onto the county.
"Part of the reason we've taken the fees so serious is we don't know how the state enforcement side will go," she said.
With Wednesday's vote came a yearlong moratorium on the number of new recreational businesses that can open in Pueblo.
The market is capped at 10 shops, which allows Pueblo's six existing dispensaries to transition to retail along with four businesses currently going through medical marijuana application process.
Under state law, medical marijuana dispensaries will be the first to transition to retail. In Pueblo, those applying for medical status have until the end of the year to obtain their license and open for retail in 2014.
The county says that limiting businesses reduces stress on county resources and stabilizes the market.
Sean Sheridan is a Philadelphia transplant who moved to Colorado Springs four years ago to enter the marijuana business. He works as an industry consultant and challenged commissioners on zoning, fees and making the local market friendlier to outside business.
"I don't think it is the commissioners' interest to protect the interest of a half-dozen people in the county. It's unfortunate people aren't well-capitalized. But to be fair, life's hard," Sheridan said.
"Greater than Pueblo is Colorado. I don't know why you restrict it to 20 or 15 or 112 (businesses). I don't understand why you'd put things in place to make it harder to keep people in business."
Pueblo is one of the few counties that has chosen to regulate marijuana over imposing a moratorium.
The county, after several public work sessions and meetings with the marijuana community, had expected Wednesday to pass policies on regulations and zoning.
"When we are going into uncharted territory, some hiccups happen along the way," Pace said.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: chieftain.com
Author: Nick Bonham
Contact: The Pueblo Chieftain | Contact
Website: The Pueblo Chieftain | County OKs recreation pot regs
