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Colorado - The Mountain Village Town Council on Thursday continued one of two required votes on a retail marijuana sales ordinance so that a full council can be present to decide on the matter. Council members Richard Child and Jonette Bronson were absent from the meeting, which spurred the council to push the vote to its next meeting. The town placed a moratorium on retail marijuana late this summer to allow for more time to work out the details of regulation. Since then, council members have been hashing out what, where and how to regulate.
The passage of Amendment 64 in November of 2012 made it legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana in Colorado. Retail shops have been on hold as the state and local municipalities have hammered out rules, but are expected to begin opening after Jan. 1. The council has been somewhat divided on the issue of retail marijuana in Mountain Village in past discussions. Most members have been in favor of limited sales, but there have been concerns about the extent of what should be allowed.
Town Attorney James Mahoney presented the council with an ordinance on Thursday that allows limited sales. In past meetings, council members Dave Schillaci and Michelle Sherry have said they oppose sales, while the rest have said they support limited sales. Mayor Dan Jansen hinted on Thursday that he is on the fence. "Part of me says 'let the market decide,' but the other part of me says this is uncharted territory. I remain uncomfortable with this," Jansen said. "Bringing this into a tourist-driven environment, you'd be surprised how many people have reached out to me over the last month saying 'please don't do this.'"
According to Mahoney's presentation on Thursday, if the town approves the ordinance as written, it will allow retail shops in town but limit where they can be located. They would have to be placed within the Village Core, generally away from main pedestrian areas or plazas. Applicants would individually have come before the council to be approved along with meeting numerous other health and safety requirements. Council members on Thursday also expressed concern about how many marijuana shops they might want to allow. Though the location requirements would likely limit how many shops could open in Mountain Village, some felt a specific number would be a good idea. "It would be more intelligent to set a number limit," Schillaci said during the meeting. "If this council, or future councils, decides that that number is too low they can go ahead and raise it."
Schillaci suggested a limit of three or four stores to start out with. But much of the discussion was cut short after the issue of the missing council members came up. "This is a big issue for our town, and I think we need as much input on it as possible," said council member Cath Jett during the meeting. The moratorium lasts until Dec. 31 and if nothing is approved by then it can be extended. If sales are approved in Mountain Village, they could begin in late 2014, depending on wording in the ordinance, as council members said they want to maintain control over when the sales can start. If Mountain Village allows sales it will be one of only a handful of towns in western Colorado to do so, including Telluride.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Telluridenews.com
Author: Collin McRann
Contact: Telluride Daily Planet > Our Newspaper > Contact Us
Website: Telluride Daily Planet > News
The passage of Amendment 64 in November of 2012 made it legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana in Colorado. Retail shops have been on hold as the state and local municipalities have hammered out rules, but are expected to begin opening after Jan. 1. The council has been somewhat divided on the issue of retail marijuana in Mountain Village in past discussions. Most members have been in favor of limited sales, but there have been concerns about the extent of what should be allowed.
Town Attorney James Mahoney presented the council with an ordinance on Thursday that allows limited sales. In past meetings, council members Dave Schillaci and Michelle Sherry have said they oppose sales, while the rest have said they support limited sales. Mayor Dan Jansen hinted on Thursday that he is on the fence. "Part of me says 'let the market decide,' but the other part of me says this is uncharted territory. I remain uncomfortable with this," Jansen said. "Bringing this into a tourist-driven environment, you'd be surprised how many people have reached out to me over the last month saying 'please don't do this.'"
According to Mahoney's presentation on Thursday, if the town approves the ordinance as written, it will allow retail shops in town but limit where they can be located. They would have to be placed within the Village Core, generally away from main pedestrian areas or plazas. Applicants would individually have come before the council to be approved along with meeting numerous other health and safety requirements. Council members on Thursday also expressed concern about how many marijuana shops they might want to allow. Though the location requirements would likely limit how many shops could open in Mountain Village, some felt a specific number would be a good idea. "It would be more intelligent to set a number limit," Schillaci said during the meeting. "If this council, or future councils, decides that that number is too low they can go ahead and raise it."
Schillaci suggested a limit of three or four stores to start out with. But much of the discussion was cut short after the issue of the missing council members came up. "This is a big issue for our town, and I think we need as much input on it as possible," said council member Cath Jett during the meeting. The moratorium lasts until Dec. 31 and if nothing is approved by then it can be extended. If sales are approved in Mountain Village, they could begin in late 2014, depending on wording in the ordinance, as council members said they want to maintain control over when the sales can start. If Mountain Village allows sales it will be one of only a handful of towns in western Colorado to do so, including Telluride.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Telluridenews.com
Author: Collin McRann
Contact: Telluride Daily Planet > Our Newspaper > Contact Us
Website: Telluride Daily Planet > News
