Pubdate: Thu, 04 Mar 2010 Source: Daily Times-Call, The (Longmont, CO) Copyright: 2010, The Daily Times-Call Contact: http://www.timescall.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1475 Author: John Fryar Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) CITIES SWAP NOTES ON POT BOULDER -- More than half of Boulder County's cities and towns have enacted moratoriums on approving any more medical marijuana businesses, as local governments wait for guidance from the Legislature. They're not alone, according to Michelle Krezek, the county commissioners' intergovernmental relations coordinator. During a Wednesday night Boulder County Consortium of Cities discussion of medical marijuana issues, Krezek reported that throughout the metropolitan area's counties and municipalities, "everybody's waiting for the state." And if it turns out that no new state-level medical marijuana regulatory measures are enacted by the time the Legislature adjourns in May, Krezek said that "there could be a scramble" as local governments try to figure out what they can legally do by themselves. "It seems like cities and towns should have a backstop plan" for when current local moratoriums expire and state lawmakers adjourn their 2010 session, regardless of what the Legislature does or doesn't do, said Boulder County Commissioner Ben Pearlman. At issue are what rules local communities can adapt or adopt when it comes to regulations about the locations and operations of marijuana-growing operations and commercial dispensaries that provide that product to patients on Colorado's medical marijuana registry. This afternoon, the Legislature's House Judiciary Committee is to hear a bill that could provide some of the guidance being set by local officials. It proposes a state medical marijuana licensing system, with some powers delegated to counties and municipalities, that would be similar to the procedures now used to license and monitor the sales of alcoholic beverages. That bill, however, already faces the probability of multiple amendments from the version its sponsors originally introduced, and its fate is uncertain. Meanwhile, the Boulder City Council, which last year adopted interim medical marijuana regulations about such issues as how close dispensaries can be to schools and one another, this week gave its staff the go-ahead to schedule hearings on more permanent local rules. Longmont, one of the municipalities that adopted and then extended a moratorium, has been meeting with dispensary owners and operators, law-enforcement personnel, school officials, patients, physicians and others, city staffers Erin Fosdick and Joni Marsh reported at Wednesday's Consortium of Cities meeting. Longmont's staff plans additional public outreach meetings this month before reviewing regulatory options with the City Council in April. - --- [sidebar] Dealing with medical-marijuana businesses Here's how Boulder County's local governments are dealing with existing and prospective medical marijuana businesses, according to a recent survey by the county commissioners' staff and Times-Call interviews on Wednesday: Longmont has nine medical marijuana dispensaries with city sales- and use-tax licenses. But a moratorium on approving new applications is in effect until June 30, and new regulations may be drafted in the meantime. Lyons has five licensed dispensaries and has a moratorium against approving any more. That moratorium expires on April 9, but the town board is expected to consider extending it, as well as considering possible zoning regulations that would apply to new medical marijuana businesses. Erie has no dispensaries and has a moratorium in effect through Oct. 6. Lafayette has two dispensaries but has a moratorium in effect until Aug. 3 against approving any more. Louisville has two dispensaries but has a moratorium that ends in May against approving any more. The city also has expressly prohibited dispensaries as home occupations. Superior has no dispensaries and has a moratorium in effect until July. Boulder has 60 licensed dispensaries or marijuana-growing facilities, but officials there said they suspect there are more operating without licenses. Emergency interim regulations are in effect, and the City Council on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to permanent regulations for dispensaries and growing operations. Nederland now has as at least six medical marijuana dispensaries. The town categorizes them as retail businesses and restricts them to commercial-zoning districts. Jamestown has no legally operating dispensaries or growing operations. It has neither a moratorium nor medical marijuana-specific regulations. Ward: No information was available. Boulder County officials have reported they know of no dispensaries or growing operations located in unincorporated parts of the county, although there have been inquiries about locating growing facilities. No new regulations are being considered, but there have been discussions about how and whether they'd fit under the current Land Use Code. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom