It's do-or-die for medical marijuana businesses in Colorado Springs, which have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to register with the city or close up shop.
Businesses that fail to register on time will no longer be allowed to operate under new regulations approved by the state General Assembly in May.
A little advice: Don't bother showing up to the City Clerk's Office, 30 S. Nevada Ave., to register today or Monday.
The office, which is overseeing the registration process and collecting $500 for each registration form, is closed to the public on Mondays and Fridays, a practice City Clerk Kathryn Young started in November because of budget cutbacks.
"I think there's going to be a lot of standing-room-only at the office on Tuesday and Wednesday," said Tanya Garduno, director of the Colorado Springs Medical Cannabis Council.
"What survives on Wednesday is it for a year," she said. "This is D-Day for us."
Businesses have been scrambling to comply with the registration requirement.
"We were extremely busy yesterday," Young said in an e-mail. "We have about 123 registered thus far — potentially about 175 known operations."
Young advised business owners not to wait until the last minute to try to get registered.
"There have been a few that have been turned away in order to acquire additional information," she said. "They must come prepared, have all of the necessary documents, and a complete application. Otherwise, they may miss the June 30 deadline."
Garduno said her organization has been helping businesses get organized.
"We've been helping people as much as we can, trying to get their forms filled out, making sure their taxes are done, everything that we can do to help folks because we don't want ignorance to be why a good person goes out of business," she said.
Garduno said some business owners are having a hard time coming up with the money to pay the registration fee. The city has collected $61,500 in registration fees so far.
"I know that there's a lot of talk about tons of money being in this industry, but most of these folks are just starting out," Garduno said. "In any small business, you don't have a lot of profit in the beginning. They're having to scrounge this money, so I predict that there's going to be a lot of activity on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week."
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to organize a debate about the city's medical marijuana industry.
"I would like to see something come together in two weeks," said Councilman Sean Paige, who is involved in a task force that is developing regulations for the industry.
"This would be more geared to getting people to think about whether or not they wanted to sign a petition and try to put a ban on the ballot," he said, referring to a proposal to ask city voters in November whether dispensaries should be outlawed in Colorado Springs.
Efforts are under way to organize a debate about the city's medical marijuana industry.
"I would like to see something come together in two weeks," said Councilman Sean Paige, who is involved in a task force developing regulations for the industry.
"This would be more geared to getting people to think about whether or not they wanted to sign a petition and try to put a ban on the ballot," he said, referring to a proposal to ask city voters in November whether dispensaries should be outlawed in Colorado Springs.
Paige said District Attorney Dan May, who has been critical of the medical marijuana industry, agreed to debate.
"I'm eager to engage with Dan May in a forum in which there's true give and take," he said
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Colorado Springs Gazette
Author: DANIEL CHACÓN
Contact: Colorado Springs Gazette
Copyright: 2010 Freedom Communications
Website: Deadline looms for medical marijuana businesses
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
Businesses that fail to register on time will no longer be allowed to operate under new regulations approved by the state General Assembly in May.
A little advice: Don't bother showing up to the City Clerk's Office, 30 S. Nevada Ave., to register today or Monday.
The office, which is overseeing the registration process and collecting $500 for each registration form, is closed to the public on Mondays and Fridays, a practice City Clerk Kathryn Young started in November because of budget cutbacks.
"I think there's going to be a lot of standing-room-only at the office on Tuesday and Wednesday," said Tanya Garduno, director of the Colorado Springs Medical Cannabis Council.
"What survives on Wednesday is it for a year," she said. "This is D-Day for us."
Businesses have been scrambling to comply with the registration requirement.
"We were extremely busy yesterday," Young said in an e-mail. "We have about 123 registered thus far — potentially about 175 known operations."
Young advised business owners not to wait until the last minute to try to get registered.
"There have been a few that have been turned away in order to acquire additional information," she said. "They must come prepared, have all of the necessary documents, and a complete application. Otherwise, they may miss the June 30 deadline."
Garduno said her organization has been helping businesses get organized.
"We've been helping people as much as we can, trying to get their forms filled out, making sure their taxes are done, everything that we can do to help folks because we don't want ignorance to be why a good person goes out of business," she said.
Garduno said some business owners are having a hard time coming up with the money to pay the registration fee. The city has collected $61,500 in registration fees so far.
"I know that there's a lot of talk about tons of money being in this industry, but most of these folks are just starting out," Garduno said. "In any small business, you don't have a lot of profit in the beginning. They're having to scrounge this money, so I predict that there's going to be a lot of activity on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week."
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to organize a debate about the city's medical marijuana industry.
"I would like to see something come together in two weeks," said Councilman Sean Paige, who is involved in a task force that is developing regulations for the industry.
"This would be more geared to getting people to think about whether or not they wanted to sign a petition and try to put a ban on the ballot," he said, referring to a proposal to ask city voters in November whether dispensaries should be outlawed in Colorado Springs.
Efforts are under way to organize a debate about the city's medical marijuana industry.
"I would like to see something come together in two weeks," said Councilman Sean Paige, who is involved in a task force developing regulations for the industry.
"This would be more geared to getting people to think about whether or not they wanted to sign a petition and try to put a ban on the ballot," he said, referring to a proposal to ask city voters in November whether dispensaries should be outlawed in Colorado Springs.
Paige said District Attorney Dan May, who has been critical of the medical marijuana industry, agreed to debate.
"I'm eager to engage with Dan May in a forum in which there's true give and take," he said
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Colorado Springs Gazette
Author: DANIEL CHACÓN
Contact: Colorado Springs Gazette
Copyright: 2010 Freedom Communications
Website: Deadline looms for medical marijuana businesses
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
