Pubdate: Wed, 06 Feb 2013
Source: Summit Daily News (CO)
Copyright: 2013 Summit Daily News
Contact: http://apps.summitdaily.com/forms/letter/index.php
Website: http://www.summitdaily.com/home.php
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/587
Author: Jessica Smith, Summit Daily News

MARIJUANA MORATORIUMS CONTINUE WITH DILLON VOTE

Council Approves Temporary Ban On Permits For Recreational Cannabis Businesses

The Dillon Town Council approved a temporary ban on issuing permits
for recreational marijuana businesses at its Tuesday night meeting.
The motion passed with a 6-1 vote. All council members were present.

According to the ordinance, the moratorium will extend through Oct. 1,
although the town council can opt to lift the ban at any time, if
deemed necessary.

"The biggest reason is because the state doesn't have any of the
regulations in place yet," said Dillon town manager Joe Wray, of the
purpose behind implementing the moratorium.

The recently convened Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force, a
statewide panel tasked with helping lawmakers implement regulations on
the sale of recreational marijuana, is expected to issue its
recommendations in February. If the state fails to adopt regulations
by July 1, or doesn't begin accepting applications for marijuana
establishments by Oct. 1, regulatory authority rolls down to local
governments.

"The benefit is that it gives us time to actually sit down and learn
about it. There's so much that's not known, there's so much that
hasn't been decided on the state level yet, it's kind of ridiculous
we're supposed to come up with something when we have no guideline,"
said Dillon Mayor Ron Holland. "But I do insist that we not just sit
here and wait until Oct. 1 and not do anything. That's just buying
time. I think we need to be proactive and discuss it and come up with
what we want the town of Dillon to do, sooner than later."

Councilman R. Louis Skowyra III was the only one to vote against
implementing the moratorium.

"The state of Colorado, and specifically our local community, spoke
loud and clear last November," Skowyra said. "I wanted to make sure my
vote most accurately reflected the constituency."

The town has already been approached by an individual with an interest
in a recreational marijuana business permit, although no application
for the permit has been submitted at this time.

"I don't want to sit around and twiddle our thumbs. I want to address
it and move on," Holland said. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D