Pubdate: Fri, 14 Sep 2012 Source: Fort Collins Coloradoan (CO) Copyright: 2012 The Fort Collins Coloradoan Contact: http://www.coloradoan.com/customerservice/contactus.html Website: http://www.coloradoan.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1580 Author: Patrick Malone CITIZENS DISENGAGED, DIVIDED ON MUNICIPAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY QUESTION Fort Collins voters will decide in November whether to repeal the ban on medical marijuana dispensaries imposed by voters in last year's election. Supporters of Question 301, including Kirk Scramstad, a former dispensary owner who helped organize the citizen initiative seeking to repeal the ban, contend it would provide a regulated environment that keeps marijuana in the hands of people who can legally use it to treat medical conditions. The initiative would allow dispensaries to reopen and sell marijuana in assorted forms to patients with medical marijuana licenses approved by doctors and issued by the state. But it would impose certain restrictions. Advertising via sign spinners would be curbed and the number of dispensaries would be capped at one per 500 registered medical marijuana patients. Larimer County ranks seventh out of 64 Colorado counties with 5,016 registered medical marijuana patients, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Boundaries prohibiting dispensaries within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds and within 500 feet of churches, child-care centers and recreation sites would be unchanged by Question 301. Opponents of repealing the ban, including former Fort Collins Mayor Ray Martinez, argue that allowing dispensaries opens the door to marijuana sliding into the black market and potentially into the hands of children. Martinez spearheads Concerned Fort Collins Citizens, which ran last year's initiative to ban dispensaries and has registered as a committee opposing Question 301. He has said that the medical merits of marijuana are dubious. A random sampling of Fort Collins voters recently at Old Town Square revealed few are very engaged in the question of allowing dispensaries, and those who have an opinion about it are divided. "I would favor it," Alex Kipp said. "Why should people who have licenses to use medical marijuana drive all the way to Longmont or Denver to get it? Keep it local." Erica Ridnour shared the concern for medical marijuana patients traveling and touted the medical benefits of marijuana. "My brother has a license," she said. "He's in pain, and it helps him. He doesn't live here, but I think about how hard it would be for him to travel and get it, so I'm all for having dispensaries locally." Nancy Burke said she believes insufficient guardrails on dispensaries increase the availability of marijuana to illicit users. "It was disastrous the other way," she said. "People were getting it under the radar. I don't see the benefit of allowing dispensaries here." John Gray considers himself undecided on the dispensary question. "It's not something I follow all that closely, so I have mixed feelings on it," he said. "I'm not for anything that encourages drug problems. On the other hand, I don't discount that there is some medical benefit. If they will be properly regulated, that's legit. If it's just a way around drugs being illegal, I'm not so hot for it." [sidebar] About the ordinance * A yes vote supports allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in Fort Collins. * A no vote supports the existing ban on medical marijuana dispensaries operating within Fort Collins. Ballot measure language: INITIATED QUESTION 301 An ordinance repealing certain provisions of the City Code that presently prohibit the operation of medical marijuana businesses in the City and replacing those provisions with rules and regulations governing the licensing, number, location and operation of such businesses. _ FOR THE ORDINANCE _ AGAINST THE ORDINANCE - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom