Crawford Mayor Jim Crook and trustee Bill Mosey were disappointed in the medical marijuana discussion at the municipal quarterly meeting held on June 29 in Crawford. Both expressed displeasure with the county's and town's legal counsel on the new state law regulating commercial businesses selling, growing or manufacturing medical marijuana products.
Dispensaries or medical marijuana centers by state law are to grow 70 percent of what they sell. The mayor said the centers can have an off-premise growing site to grow the 70 percent. "My first question is how much is 70 percent?" asked the mayor. State lawmakers "think that a (medical marijuana) cardholder is going to be attached to (a single) dispensary, and that dispensary is going to have so many clientele and the 70 percent isn't going to be that great." Mayor Crook continued, "They don't have a clue, they're brainless, that you don't have to go to any one dispensary. You can go to any dispensary in the state of Colorado if you're a cardholder. I don't care what the law is, that's the way the present bill reads. That's the way the present amendment reads. So, if they are doing $190,000 a year there's no way they can grow 70 percent on premises."
The mayor was incredulous that the 70-page house bill never defines what a commercial grower is. "Neither can the county attorney and neither can the sheriff tell you what a commercial grower is. You need a license? You need a card? What do you do? There's nothing out there that says anything," Crook said. "Delta County has outlawed any commercial growers, but if you are a patient and a caregiver you can grow six plants per cardholder. So, you're allowed to have five cardholders at present, which is a new law which probably could be disputed because that was not what the original (amendment) was in 2000. But that's what they have all agreed to. So right now, if you are growing 30 plants [Sheriff] Fred McKee is going to do absolutely nothing but want to see you are a legal cardholder."
During the municipal quarterly, Mayor Crook asked the sheriff if he could plant five plants in the sheriff's back yard? Would he be legal, if the sheriff gave him permission? The sheriff replied, "Yes you would." Then the mayor asked if the sheriff could look at his plants if the sheriff is not a cardholder? The sheriff, according to Crook, said, "I don't know." Crook's assessment is, "They don't even know what the laws are. So when it comes to all this stuff, all of it is premature." The law to have dispensaries grow 70 percent of their own product by September, in the mayor's opinion, is impossible.
Apparently most of the marijuana coming into Delta County is grown in the Eagle-Vail area. "It's going to be a big tax base," Crook said. Right now in Crawford, no one can grow medical marijuana commercially. Only cardholders can grow the marijuana for their own private stock or as a caregiver.
Trustee Mike Tiedeman asked the mayor if a cardholder has to sign up with one medical marijuana center or can a cardholder go to multiple centers. That was another question the mayor put to county attorney Brad Kolman at the municipal quarterly. Does a cardholder have to be locked into one dispensary. The answer was "absolutely not."
The mayor said the state has a database that tracks who has a license or a card, but not which dispensary is used. The state is about six months behind in their record keeping.
"Until the state comes up and says this is what we are really doing, it's really, in my opinion," the mayor said, "that they are wasting a hell of a lot of energy and a hell of a lot of tax dollars (on what) they know nothing about and may not be able to stop."
Trustee Susie Steckel wants the state to put "a giant tax" on medical marijuana businesses "and let it go." She doesn't believe the businesses can be effectively regulated.
Bill Mosey recommended the trustees read the information from the Colorado Municipal League (CML). "You get more information from the [CML] than you do from our county sheriff, our county attorney and our town attorney."
There is one medical marijuana center within Crawford town limits. The Crawford Town Council has extended their moratorium on all new medical marijuana businesses until July 1, 2011.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Delta County Independent
Author: Kathy Browning
Contact: Delta County Independent
Copyright: 2010 Delta County Independent
Website: Little wonder Crawford has a medical marijuana moratorium
Dispensaries or medical marijuana centers by state law are to grow 70 percent of what they sell. The mayor said the centers can have an off-premise growing site to grow the 70 percent. "My first question is how much is 70 percent?" asked the mayor. State lawmakers "think that a (medical marijuana) cardholder is going to be attached to (a single) dispensary, and that dispensary is going to have so many clientele and the 70 percent isn't going to be that great." Mayor Crook continued, "They don't have a clue, they're brainless, that you don't have to go to any one dispensary. You can go to any dispensary in the state of Colorado if you're a cardholder. I don't care what the law is, that's the way the present bill reads. That's the way the present amendment reads. So, if they are doing $190,000 a year there's no way they can grow 70 percent on premises."
The mayor was incredulous that the 70-page house bill never defines what a commercial grower is. "Neither can the county attorney and neither can the sheriff tell you what a commercial grower is. You need a license? You need a card? What do you do? There's nothing out there that says anything," Crook said. "Delta County has outlawed any commercial growers, but if you are a patient and a caregiver you can grow six plants per cardholder. So, you're allowed to have five cardholders at present, which is a new law which probably could be disputed because that was not what the original (amendment) was in 2000. But that's what they have all agreed to. So right now, if you are growing 30 plants [Sheriff] Fred McKee is going to do absolutely nothing but want to see you are a legal cardholder."
During the municipal quarterly, Mayor Crook asked the sheriff if he could plant five plants in the sheriff's back yard? Would he be legal, if the sheriff gave him permission? The sheriff replied, "Yes you would." Then the mayor asked if the sheriff could look at his plants if the sheriff is not a cardholder? The sheriff, according to Crook, said, "I don't know." Crook's assessment is, "They don't even know what the laws are. So when it comes to all this stuff, all of it is premature." The law to have dispensaries grow 70 percent of their own product by September, in the mayor's opinion, is impossible.
Apparently most of the marijuana coming into Delta County is grown in the Eagle-Vail area. "It's going to be a big tax base," Crook said. Right now in Crawford, no one can grow medical marijuana commercially. Only cardholders can grow the marijuana for their own private stock or as a caregiver.
Trustee Mike Tiedeman asked the mayor if a cardholder has to sign up with one medical marijuana center or can a cardholder go to multiple centers. That was another question the mayor put to county attorney Brad Kolman at the municipal quarterly. Does a cardholder have to be locked into one dispensary. The answer was "absolutely not."
The mayor said the state has a database that tracks who has a license or a card, but not which dispensary is used. The state is about six months behind in their record keeping.
"Until the state comes up and says this is what we are really doing, it's really, in my opinion," the mayor said, "that they are wasting a hell of a lot of energy and a hell of a lot of tax dollars (on what) they know nothing about and may not be able to stop."
Trustee Susie Steckel wants the state to put "a giant tax" on medical marijuana businesses "and let it go." She doesn't believe the businesses can be effectively regulated.
Bill Mosey recommended the trustees read the information from the Colorado Municipal League (CML). "You get more information from the [CML] than you do from our county sheriff, our county attorney and our town attorney."
There is one medical marijuana center within Crawford town limits. The Crawford Town Council has extended their moratorium on all new medical marijuana businesses until July 1, 2011.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Delta County Independent
Author: Kathy Browning
Contact: Delta County Independent
Copyright: 2010 Delta County Independent
Website: Little wonder Crawford has a medical marijuana moratorium
