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Starting sometime after Jan. 1, adults in Telluride will be able walk into retail marijuana shops in town and purchase pot without a medical marijuana card.
On Tuesday, the Telluride Town Council approved an ordinance that will regulate retail marijuana shops in town. The ordinance sets up a licensing scheme that in many ways mirrors Telluride's medical marijuana policy, and opens the door for retail pot sales to begin in 2014.
The approval makes Telluride one of the few municipalities on the Western Slope to allow the sales of marijuana. Grand Junction, Montrose and most recently, Norwood, have all decided to ban retail sales, joining larger cities around the state like Greeley and Colorado Springs. Nearby Durango placed a moratorium on the sale of non-medical pot, meanwhile.
The passage of Amendment 64 last November made it legal for adults 21 and older in Colorado to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, but the implementation of retail pot shops has been delayed as the state drafted rules for exactly how recreational pot should be grown and sold. In early July, the Department of Revenue released those rules, which address everything from potency labels to who can work in the marijuana business.
Following the release of the state's rules, the Town of Telluride began the process of creating its own licensing regulations for retail shops, opting to do that rather than prohibiting retail marijuana facilities. In Telluride, where medical marijuana dispensaries have been operating with few problems for the last couple of years, the decision to also allow retail sales brought little controversy.
The council gave the ordinance preliminary approval in late August, and on Tuesday held a public hearing and second reading on the regulations.
The ordinance includes a framework that allows the town's current medical marijuana dispensaries to transition into retail stores if they choose, and to operate as dual retail and medical facilities under certain conditions. It also sets out rules on things like signage, ventilation and cultivation. It allows cultivation in commercial buildings, imposes a proximity limitation that keeps retail marijuana shops at least 500 feet away from schools and contains signage regulations that makes it unlawful to use advertising that is misleading, deceptive or false or that appeals to minors. It also makes it unlawful to consume, use, display or grow marijuana on town-owned or leased property.
Though no one at the hearing said they were opposed to the sales of pot in town, some had concerns about in-town cultivation and other details of the legislation.
Lynda Tueller is one of the operators of the Studio Telluride Pilates Studio in the Silver Bell Building, where The Telluride Bud Company grows and sells medical marijuana. She said that they have had issues with odors from the cultivation, and while the smells have been suppressed recently, Tueller suggested that the town impose stricter regulations for growing pot in town.
The issue of cultivation had come up at the first reading, when the town council considered a provision that would limit cultivation to commercial buildings that did not have any residential units. That provision was struck down after the majority of council members agreed that it's an issue that can be worked out between landlords and tenants.
On Tuesday, however, Mayor Stu Fraser suggested reinstating the prohibition of cultivation in mixed-use buildings. Although he has no problem with retail sales, Fraser said, complaints about cultivation within town prove that is has been and could continue to be a problem.
"I just really believe that what we have is a situation that can be relieved at this time," Fraser said.
Ann Brady supported Fraser's suggestion, and Town Manager Greg Clifton also said it's been an issue for town, but the change failed to gain the support of the rest of the council.
Council member Kristen Permakoff said that the question of where to grow is a sticky issue, but the constituents have spoken loud and clear about marijuana.
"Our county passed Amendment 64 with highest percentage of support [in the state]," she said. "So I'm all for having retail marijuana in town."
The final version of the ordinance passed on a 5-2 vote, with Fraser and Brady casting the no votes.
Under the state's deadline, the town had until Oct. 1 to adopt an ordinance that designates a local licensing authority.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: telluridenews.com
Author: Katie Klingsporn
Contact: Telluride Daily Planet > Our Newspaper > Contact Us
Website: Telluride Daily Planet > Archives > News > Telluride approves retail marijuana regulations
On Tuesday, the Telluride Town Council approved an ordinance that will regulate retail marijuana shops in town. The ordinance sets up a licensing scheme that in many ways mirrors Telluride's medical marijuana policy, and opens the door for retail pot sales to begin in 2014.
The approval makes Telluride one of the few municipalities on the Western Slope to allow the sales of marijuana. Grand Junction, Montrose and most recently, Norwood, have all decided to ban retail sales, joining larger cities around the state like Greeley and Colorado Springs. Nearby Durango placed a moratorium on the sale of non-medical pot, meanwhile.
The passage of Amendment 64 last November made it legal for adults 21 and older in Colorado to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, but the implementation of retail pot shops has been delayed as the state drafted rules for exactly how recreational pot should be grown and sold. In early July, the Department of Revenue released those rules, which address everything from potency labels to who can work in the marijuana business.
Following the release of the state's rules, the Town of Telluride began the process of creating its own licensing regulations for retail shops, opting to do that rather than prohibiting retail marijuana facilities. In Telluride, where medical marijuana dispensaries have been operating with few problems for the last couple of years, the decision to also allow retail sales brought little controversy.
The council gave the ordinance preliminary approval in late August, and on Tuesday held a public hearing and second reading on the regulations.
The ordinance includes a framework that allows the town's current medical marijuana dispensaries to transition into retail stores if they choose, and to operate as dual retail and medical facilities under certain conditions. It also sets out rules on things like signage, ventilation and cultivation. It allows cultivation in commercial buildings, imposes a proximity limitation that keeps retail marijuana shops at least 500 feet away from schools and contains signage regulations that makes it unlawful to use advertising that is misleading, deceptive or false or that appeals to minors. It also makes it unlawful to consume, use, display or grow marijuana on town-owned or leased property.
Though no one at the hearing said they were opposed to the sales of pot in town, some had concerns about in-town cultivation and other details of the legislation.
Lynda Tueller is one of the operators of the Studio Telluride Pilates Studio in the Silver Bell Building, where The Telluride Bud Company grows and sells medical marijuana. She said that they have had issues with odors from the cultivation, and while the smells have been suppressed recently, Tueller suggested that the town impose stricter regulations for growing pot in town.
The issue of cultivation had come up at the first reading, when the town council considered a provision that would limit cultivation to commercial buildings that did not have any residential units. That provision was struck down after the majority of council members agreed that it's an issue that can be worked out between landlords and tenants.
On Tuesday, however, Mayor Stu Fraser suggested reinstating the prohibition of cultivation in mixed-use buildings. Although he has no problem with retail sales, Fraser said, complaints about cultivation within town prove that is has been and could continue to be a problem.
"I just really believe that what we have is a situation that can be relieved at this time," Fraser said.
Ann Brady supported Fraser's suggestion, and Town Manager Greg Clifton also said it's been an issue for town, but the change failed to gain the support of the rest of the council.
Council member Kristen Permakoff said that the question of where to grow is a sticky issue, but the constituents have spoken loud and clear about marijuana.
"Our county passed Amendment 64 with highest percentage of support [in the state]," she said. "So I'm all for having retail marijuana in town."
The final version of the ordinance passed on a 5-2 vote, with Fraser and Brady casting the no votes.
Under the state's deadline, the town had until Oct. 1 to adopt an ordinance that designates a local licensing authority.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: telluridenews.com
Author: Katie Klingsporn
Contact: Telluride Daily Planet > Our Newspaper > Contact Us
Website: Telluride Daily Planet > Archives > News > Telluride approves retail marijuana regulations
