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There's a familiar – yet unexpected – person out front on the recreational marijuana issue. Maybe you know him.
Former Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer has been making the rounds, from sitting in on recreational marijuana committees at the state legislature to speaking at an Amendment 64 committee in Aurora.
At the committee meeting last month in Aurora, Tauer, a Republican, said he had a medical marijuana dispensary client interested in opening up a recreational marijuana shop in the city, according to council member Bob Roth.
Tauer, during his eight years as mayor of the state's third-largest city, wasn't the biggest supporter of marijuana issues. But now, he said, voters throughout the state have endorsed the use of recreational marijuana, so it's important to regulate it in the best way the state can.
That's why he got into the pot game, he said.
"Colorado is not under a national microscope, we're under a worldwide microscope," Tauer said in an interview with The Denver Post on Thursday. "Three years from now, we'll either be the people who got it right or the Keystone Cops."
Even Tauer, 53, acknowledges that some might not have expected this move when he left office 1½ years ago. As mayor, Tauer was the face of the city, one of the highest-profile political leaders in the state.
Despite leading efforts to lure the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo to Aurora and an accompanying Western-theme hotel, Tauer said he felt his greatest accomplishment during his tenure was implementing a masonry fence replacement program in the city.
Now he's turned to pot.
"I think people might be surprised, but the more they think about it, they'll see how important this issue really is," Tauer said.
Tauer said he owns a consultant firm and he also partners with political consultant Sean Tonneron issues. Tauer would not say who or whether he has clients interested in opening recreational marijuana shops or grow operations in Aurora or any other city. He is not a registered lobbyist with the state legislature.
Even those who have worked with Tauer for a long time were caught a bit little off guard initially.
"It was curious when it was first pointed out he was at the Capitol back in April and May," Aurora Councilwoman Molly Markert said.
Brian Vicente, executive director of Sensible Colorado and one of the leaders of a pro-marijuana tax campaign called Committee for Responsible Regulation, said Tauer has been volunteering on a committee to pass the tax measure.
"Now that this law has passed, people like Ed, who are prestigious Coloradans, are coming forward to make sure the regulatory structure is appropriate for both the community and for businesses," Vicente said. "I think it speaks to the depth of support for responsible regulations of marijuana."
Amendment 64, passed by voters in November, allows for the sale of recreational marijuana and for possession of up to an ounce. Aurora and other cities are now developing ways to regulate the sale of marijuana.
At the Amendment 64 committee meeting in Aurora, Tauer spoke briefly during a conversation on how many pot shops the city should allow, according to the minutes of the meeting.
"Former Mayor Ed Tauer stated the amount of marijuana that people in Aurora may likely consume is probably a few percent whether the city had three stores or 40," the minutes said.
The committee decided to recommend to the Aurora City Council that the number of shops be capped at 20 initially with the potential for 40 shops in the city.
"The marijuana industry has really matured in the last decade," Tauer told The Denver Post. "There a lot of serious businesspeople working in Colorado that strongly support a well-regulated industry."
Political analyst Eric Sondermann said the marijuana issue in Colorado is crossing all barriers, political or otherwise.
"I think it's part of the mainstreaming of the marijuana movement, that it's not just liberals, that it's not just libertarians, it's not just potheads," Sondermann said. "It's now leading itself into the mainstream fabric of Colorado, for better or for worse."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: denverpost.com
Author: Carlos Illescas
Contact: Contact Us - The Denver Post
Website: Former Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer now in the pot regulation game - The Denver Post
Former Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer has been making the rounds, from sitting in on recreational marijuana committees at the state legislature to speaking at an Amendment 64 committee in Aurora.
At the committee meeting last month in Aurora, Tauer, a Republican, said he had a medical marijuana dispensary client interested in opening up a recreational marijuana shop in the city, according to council member Bob Roth.
Tauer, during his eight years as mayor of the state's third-largest city, wasn't the biggest supporter of marijuana issues. But now, he said, voters throughout the state have endorsed the use of recreational marijuana, so it's important to regulate it in the best way the state can.
That's why he got into the pot game, he said.
"Colorado is not under a national microscope, we're under a worldwide microscope," Tauer said in an interview with The Denver Post on Thursday. "Three years from now, we'll either be the people who got it right or the Keystone Cops."
Even Tauer, 53, acknowledges that some might not have expected this move when he left office 1½ years ago. As mayor, Tauer was the face of the city, one of the highest-profile political leaders in the state.
Despite leading efforts to lure the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo to Aurora and an accompanying Western-theme hotel, Tauer said he felt his greatest accomplishment during his tenure was implementing a masonry fence replacement program in the city.
Now he's turned to pot.
"I think people might be surprised, but the more they think about it, they'll see how important this issue really is," Tauer said.
Tauer said he owns a consultant firm and he also partners with political consultant Sean Tonneron issues. Tauer would not say who or whether he has clients interested in opening recreational marijuana shops or grow operations in Aurora or any other city. He is not a registered lobbyist with the state legislature.
Even those who have worked with Tauer for a long time were caught a bit little off guard initially.
"It was curious when it was first pointed out he was at the Capitol back in April and May," Aurora Councilwoman Molly Markert said.
Brian Vicente, executive director of Sensible Colorado and one of the leaders of a pro-marijuana tax campaign called Committee for Responsible Regulation, said Tauer has been volunteering on a committee to pass the tax measure.
"Now that this law has passed, people like Ed, who are prestigious Coloradans, are coming forward to make sure the regulatory structure is appropriate for both the community and for businesses," Vicente said. "I think it speaks to the depth of support for responsible regulations of marijuana."
Amendment 64, passed by voters in November, allows for the sale of recreational marijuana and for possession of up to an ounce. Aurora and other cities are now developing ways to regulate the sale of marijuana.
At the Amendment 64 committee meeting in Aurora, Tauer spoke briefly during a conversation on how many pot shops the city should allow, according to the minutes of the meeting.
"Former Mayor Ed Tauer stated the amount of marijuana that people in Aurora may likely consume is probably a few percent whether the city had three stores or 40," the minutes said.
The committee decided to recommend to the Aurora City Council that the number of shops be capped at 20 initially with the potential for 40 shops in the city.
"The marijuana industry has really matured in the last decade," Tauer told The Denver Post. "There a lot of serious businesspeople working in Colorado that strongly support a well-regulated industry."
Political analyst Eric Sondermann said the marijuana issue in Colorado is crossing all barriers, political or otherwise.
"I think it's part of the mainstreaming of the marijuana movement, that it's not just liberals, that it's not just libertarians, it's not just potheads," Sondermann said. "It's now leading itself into the mainstream fabric of Colorado, for better or for worse."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: denverpost.com
Author: Carlos Illescas
Contact: Contact Us - The Denver Post
Website: Former Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer now in the pot regulation game - The Denver Post
