Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
The way marijuana is regulated in Colorado Springs could be changing as a new Medical Marijuana (MMJ) Task Force held its first meeting Thursday morning at City Hall. The group, comprised of several city and community leaders, will look at everything from reforming the medical marijuana caregiver system, to licensing and land use laws. The Task Force only has a 120 days to get draft ordinances and recommendations to City Council in March 2016.
The bulk of Thursday's discussion centered around illegal residential marijuana grows, as police, community members and the City Clerk's Office talked about challenges in regulating caregivers.
Colorado Springs Police Sergeant, Roger Vargason, works on the Metro Vice Narcotics unit, and said illegal grows are set up all over the city's neighborhoods.
"People that have rented houses that have gone in and started the grow... 600 plants in a residence," said Vargason.
He said in many cases, people don't realize that Colorado Springs has a limit of 36 marijuana plants per household for a MMJ caregiver, and police educate them on the limit. But Vargason said in some cases, where they've found anywhere from 200 to 600 plants, often times the plants aren't going to patients but are illegally trafficked.
"I mean somebody that grows 600 plants in a residence, are they really growing for those folks or is that marijuana being diverted from the city of Colorado Springs and the state of Colorado?" said Vargason.
The problem lies in enforcement. City leaders and Police acknowledge that officers have little power to enforce the Springs' 36 plant limit, and cannot remove plants unless there is evidence that they are being illegally trafficked.
"There's going to have to be some kind of tools for the police officers to enforce and we have to provide that for them," said Councilman Larry Bagley, Chairman of the MMJ Task Force.
Bagley and the clerk's office also highlighted a problem with licensing and tracking caregivers. City Clerk Sarah Johnson told the Task Force that there is essentially no regulation through the city and no licenses required, so the city "doesn't know who they are or where they are."
But one issue the MMJ Task Force is not talking about is the controversial pot clubs popping up around town.
"Yes I was very concerned about that. I think that land use is a big huge problem," Jan Doran, Director Emeritus of the Council of Neighbors and Organizations.
Doran and some other members expressed concern Thursday that they're not tackling the pot club issue. But Bagley said this task force will work with another group that is handling regulation of private marijuana clubs and recreational marijuana issues in Colorado Springs.
"We'll have to make sure we do the same, or not same, but don't step on each others toes on the zoning and the restrictions," said Bagley of pot club regulations.
The MMJ Task Force will meet four times over the next few months, looking at land use and licensing laws. They will also hold public meetings where citizens can voice their opinions. The MMJ Task Force will present their recommendations and any new draft ordinances to City Council at a work session on March 21, 2016.
Pueblo, Boulder and several municipalities in the Denver area already have restrictions on medical marijuana caregivers on the books.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Task Force Looking At Reforms In Medical Marijuana Polices
Author: Maddie Garrett
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: KOAA 5 News
The bulk of Thursday's discussion centered around illegal residential marijuana grows, as police, community members and the City Clerk's Office talked about challenges in regulating caregivers.
Colorado Springs Police Sergeant, Roger Vargason, works on the Metro Vice Narcotics unit, and said illegal grows are set up all over the city's neighborhoods.
"People that have rented houses that have gone in and started the grow... 600 plants in a residence," said Vargason.
He said in many cases, people don't realize that Colorado Springs has a limit of 36 marijuana plants per household for a MMJ caregiver, and police educate them on the limit. But Vargason said in some cases, where they've found anywhere from 200 to 600 plants, often times the plants aren't going to patients but are illegally trafficked.
"I mean somebody that grows 600 plants in a residence, are they really growing for those folks or is that marijuana being diverted from the city of Colorado Springs and the state of Colorado?" said Vargason.
The problem lies in enforcement. City leaders and Police acknowledge that officers have little power to enforce the Springs' 36 plant limit, and cannot remove plants unless there is evidence that they are being illegally trafficked.
"There's going to have to be some kind of tools for the police officers to enforce and we have to provide that for them," said Councilman Larry Bagley, Chairman of the MMJ Task Force.
Bagley and the clerk's office also highlighted a problem with licensing and tracking caregivers. City Clerk Sarah Johnson told the Task Force that there is essentially no regulation through the city and no licenses required, so the city "doesn't know who they are or where they are."
But one issue the MMJ Task Force is not talking about is the controversial pot clubs popping up around town.
"Yes I was very concerned about that. I think that land use is a big huge problem," Jan Doran, Director Emeritus of the Council of Neighbors and Organizations.
Doran and some other members expressed concern Thursday that they're not tackling the pot club issue. But Bagley said this task force will work with another group that is handling regulation of private marijuana clubs and recreational marijuana issues in Colorado Springs.
"We'll have to make sure we do the same, or not same, but don't step on each others toes on the zoning and the restrictions," said Bagley of pot club regulations.
The MMJ Task Force will meet four times over the next few months, looking at land use and licensing laws. They will also hold public meetings where citizens can voice their opinions. The MMJ Task Force will present their recommendations and any new draft ordinances to City Council at a work session on March 21, 2016.
Pueblo, Boulder and several municipalities in the Denver area already have restrictions on medical marijuana caregivers on the books.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Task Force Looking At Reforms In Medical Marijuana Polices
Author: Maddie Garrett
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: KOAA 5 News
