Pubdate: Fri, 23 Nov 2012
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2012 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: John Ingold

THIS TIME, CITIES PROACTIVE ON POT

Englewood Among Those Taking Action With Moratorium on Marijuana Shops

The first ballots had not even begun to arrive in mailboxes when the 
Englewood City Council took up an emergency ordinance to address one 
of the outcomes of the 2012 election.

At its Oct. 15 meeting, the council unanimously approved a moratorium 
on the opening of recreational-marijuana businesses sanctioned under 
Amendment 64- the partial marijuana-legalization measure that 
Colorado voters ultimately approved.

"The last time, with medical marijuana, we got behind the eight ball, 
and we were not ready for the distribution centers to come in," 
Englewood Mayor Randy Penn said Wednesday, explaining why the council 
took action on a measure that hadn't even passed yet. "We want to 
just make sure we're doing everything properly and we have everything in line."

The first recreational-marijuana store won't likely open in Colorado 
until January 2014; the state must first issue regulations on how 
they would even operate. But Englewood is one of a number of 
municipalities in preparing early. On Tuesday night, the Montrose 
City Council gave initial approval to a moratorium on pot shops. The 
council will take a second vote on the ordinance next month.

Rachel Allen, an attorney at the Colorado Municipal League, said 
other cities are looking to do the same. The explosion of 
medical-marijuana dispensaries in 2009 and 2010 caught numerous 
cities unprepared. Many now want to get zoning and business rules in 
place without the pressure of applications waiting on their 
doorsteps, Allen said.

"This is just a belt-and-suspenders approach," she said.

The concern comes as state officials are scrambling to put together 
regulations for Amendment 64's recreational-marijuana industry.

The amendment gives the state until July 1 to adopt rules for the 
industry. If those are to be permanent - not emergency - rules, then 
the state must hold a rulemaking hearing by the end of April, 
according to the state's administrative timelines.

In order to hold that hearing, though, lawmakers must have passed 
legislation giving guidance on what the regulations should look like.

"We really have no idea where they want to go," Penn said of lawmakers.

Local governments can begin issuing recreational-marijuana business 
licenses as early as Oct. 1. They can also ban the businesses. None, 
so far, has moved to do so.

Given the long advance notice before stores can open, at least one 
city has opted against a moratorium. Town leaders in Steamboat 
Springs decided a moratorium would be redundant.

"It's on our radar now," Steamboat City Council President Bart 
Kounovsky said, according to Steamboat Today. "And it's not going to 
slip by us."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom