Pubdate: Tue, 13 May 2014
Source: Pueblo Chieftain (CO)
Copyright: 2014 The Pueblo Chieftain
Contact:  http://www.chieftain.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1613
Author: Jeff Tucker

PUEBLO WEST POT GROWER GOING DRY

A Pueblo West medical and recreational marijuana grower told Pueblo 
County commissioners Monday that business may be drying up.

Mike Stetler, owner of Marisol Therapeutics, said he has about a week 
left of water before he'll have to shut down and claimed the problem 
could be widespread for Pueblo growers.

"I don't know what to do," Stetler said. "I've got a million dollars 
in plants and a week's supply of water."

Stetler said he contracts with a private water company and was told 
recently that the company will no longer sell water to marijuana growers.

Stetler said it's similar to a stance taken recently by the St. 
Charles Mesa Water District, and added he's concerned that as local 
water supplies dwindle, local marijuana operations may get pushed out 
of the market.

Stetler went in front of the commissioners during the board's public 
comment portion of its meeting.

Chairman Terry Hart said he wasn't certain what authority, if any, 
the board has in private water negotiations. But he also suggested 
that Stetler look for new sources of water and shop for an attorney 
to determine what his options are.

To that end, the commissioners will be seeking their own legal advice.

Today they asked their water attorney, Ray Petros, to look into what 
jurisdiction the county, as a licensing body, has in water conflicts.

"We need to have a feel for what the law says and doesn't say," Hart 
said. "But that's for our purposes from a licensing perspective. 
Anyone who feels like they're being wronged because of these 
decisions needs to seek their own counsel."

Stetler said his water supplier's notice came suddenly.

He said the water company told him they were stopping sales to 
marijuana businesses because it was in conflict with federal law.

He had been in business for years as a medical marijuana grower and 
supplier before becoming one of the first recreational retailers in 
the state in January.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom