Pubdate: Wed, 03 Jul 2013
Source: Vail Daily (CO)
Copyright: 2013 Vail Daily
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/wo3Ts7AI
Website: http://www.vaildaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3233
Author: Lauren Glendenning

VAIL TO EXTEND TEMPORARY POT DISPENSARY BAN

VAIL -- In a game of more wait-and-see, the Vail Town Council made 
the first of two steps Tuesday to extend a current temporary ban on 
recreational marijuana businesses.

The council is waiting to see what consequences, if any, arise in 
other towns that allow the businesses to operate since last 
November's passing of Amendment 64. Voters in the state, including an 
overwhelming majority of voters in Eagle County, approved the 
amendment which made adult recreational marijuana use legal. Since 
then, however, the state has been trying to catch up to the passing 
of the amendment by writing the laws that will regulate marijuana businesses.

Unanimous vote to extend ban

The Vail Town Council had already temporarily banned the businesses 
early this year, but that ban is set to expire Aug. 6. Town Attorney 
Matt Mire told the town at its last June meeting that it could extend 
that temporary ban to give the town more time to study what options 
for regulation are available. On Tuesday, the council voted 
unanimously on first reading to extend that temporary ban. Councilman 
Greg Moffet was absent.

While recreational, adult marijuana use is already legal in the 
state, the town of Vail has made consumption of the drug illegal in 
public places. The town defined open use and consumption of legalized 
marijuana as that even on private property, if the public can see it 
or smell it, that use is prohibited.

'Where can I buy some pot?'

Visitors to Vail have already been inquiring about where to purchase 
marijuana. People have been asking staff members at hotels and fellow 
skiers on chair lifts where the stores are that sell it. Medical 
marijuana dispensary owners have also reported that folks have walked 
into those shops looking to buy pot without a medical license.

That's where the newly passed Amendment 64 gets tricky, too. 
Currently, only the medical marijuana business licensees can apply 
for the recreational business licenses in the state. That will change 
next year, though.

Vail's temporary ban means the town will not accept business license 
applications from anyone this year, and potentially never. The 
extended ban expires next January, but the town of Vail is expected 
to talk about marijuana business regulations again before the end of 
the year. The town could decide to make its ban on the businesses 
permanent, but the town can't ban marijuana use in town outright -- 
that's a law that Colorado voters got their say in.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom