Orchard City town officials are considering allowing the town's only medical marijuana "dispensary" to continue operating after new state laws take effect.
The business, Grand Mesa Herbal Dispensary, located on Hwy. 65, began operations last year before the town's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries was adopted.
At a meeting of county elected official and administrators on June 29 in Crawford, Orchard City Mayor Don Suppes reported that the town's trustees are considering allowing Grand Mesa Herbal Dispensary to be grandfathered in after the new state law takes full effect a year from now. Grandfathering of current MMCs is not required by state law.
Under a new state law that took partial effect July 1, the town could prohibit the business, or any other type of medical marijuana business, from operating within the town limits.
Dispensaries, now called "medical marijuana centers" or MMCs under the new state law, are not considered by the legislature to be protected businesses under the state's voter-approved medical marijuana constitutional amendment.
That constitutional amendment allows bona fide medical users to have access to medical marijuana. But the state law limits and even allows jurisdictions the ability to outright prohibit retail medical marijuana operations.
Delta County Sheriff Fred McKee on previous occasions has said that the six MMCs now operating in municipalities here have been free of reported law enforcement incidents.
No official action has been taken by the Orchard City Town Board, which has complete authority under the new state law to allow, disallow or regulate medical marijuana business in the town.
The town government could also put the issue up to a vote of the people.
The town board has formed a committee from two of its members, trustees Len Johnson and Gale Doudy, along with the mayor, to look at the issues and make a recommendation to the full town board.
The committee has held at least one meeting so far. It was attended also by the town administrator and a town resident. Some of the ideas discussed during that session included having an election to decide the issue and allowing two MMCs in the town so that the current one couldn't enjoy "a monopoly."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Delta County Independent
Author: Hank Lohmeyer
Contact: Delta County Independent
Copyright: 2010 Delta County Independent
Website:
Orchard City considers grandfathering pot shop
The business, Grand Mesa Herbal Dispensary, located on Hwy. 65, began operations last year before the town's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries was adopted.
At a meeting of county elected official and administrators on June 29 in Crawford, Orchard City Mayor Don Suppes reported that the town's trustees are considering allowing Grand Mesa Herbal Dispensary to be grandfathered in after the new state law takes full effect a year from now. Grandfathering of current MMCs is not required by state law.
Under a new state law that took partial effect July 1, the town could prohibit the business, or any other type of medical marijuana business, from operating within the town limits.
Dispensaries, now called "medical marijuana centers" or MMCs under the new state law, are not considered by the legislature to be protected businesses under the state's voter-approved medical marijuana constitutional amendment.
That constitutional amendment allows bona fide medical users to have access to medical marijuana. But the state law limits and even allows jurisdictions the ability to outright prohibit retail medical marijuana operations.
Delta County Sheriff Fred McKee on previous occasions has said that the six MMCs now operating in municipalities here have been free of reported law enforcement incidents.
No official action has been taken by the Orchard City Town Board, which has complete authority under the new state law to allow, disallow or regulate medical marijuana business in the town.
The town government could also put the issue up to a vote of the people.
The town board has formed a committee from two of its members, trustees Len Johnson and Gale Doudy, along with the mayor, to look at the issues and make a recommendation to the full town board.
The committee has held at least one meeting so far. It was attended also by the town administrator and a town resident. Some of the ideas discussed during that session included having an election to decide the issue and allowing two MMCs in the town so that the current one couldn't enjoy "a monopoly."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Delta County Independent
Author: Hank Lohmeyer
Contact: Delta County Independent
Copyright: 2010 Delta County Independent
Website:
Orchard City considers grandfathering pot shop
