Pubdate: Wed, 02 Sep 2015
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Column: CannaBiz
Copyright: 2015 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Author: Griffin Swartzell

CANNABIS CLUBS GET SERIOUS, QUESTIONABLE POLLING, LIMITS ON 
HOME-GROWN, AND MORE

Thumbs too green

On Aug. 25 county commissioners passed a resolution temporarily 
limiting households to 12 marijuana plants to prevent larger grow 
operations in unincorporated El Paso County. It's a bigger problem 
than folks just possessing too much weed.

"[Illegal growers] are coming and destroying [rental] houses," says 
Commissioner Peggy Littleton. "[They're] putting in ventilation, 
lighting, stripping things, adding extra outlets everywhere - 
basically destroying a rental home to set it up as an illegal grow 
operation. ... I think it's an abuse of what the law was supposed to be."

Growing more than 12 plants in the unincorporated county is now a 
violation of the zoning code. County attorneys are working on more 
permanent options to give commissioners at a future meeting.

Cannabis clubs get serious

KC Stark, Studio A64 owner and statesman of all things dank and 
sticky, invited state Rep. Kit Roupe, R-Colorado Springs, into his 
studio Aug. 25 to discuss cannabis legislation - mainly licensing for 
cannabis clubs. Roupe, it seems, has been doing her homework. Roupe 
and Stark discussed how other countries have dealt with cannabis 
clubs, from Uruguay's open-air-only laws to Amsterdam's 
non-enforcement, to the contained grow-sell-smoke clubs of Spain.

Roupe has drafted a bill to regulate cannabis clubs, and she gave the 
Independent a copy. Her bill will allow for businesses that can't 
sell cannabis in any shape or form - strictly BYOB. Clubs can also 
get licenses to serve food and alcohol on site. Specifics for 
licensure would be determined community by community.

It's an early, bare-bones draft, and Roupe is looking for input. She 
will host two stakeholders' meetings to get public comments before 
presenting the bill in January, likely with support from state Rep. 
Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont. The first meeting will take place at 
City Hall on Thursday, Sept. 10. The second meeting will be in Denver.

Roupe has invited stakeholders from the District Attorney's office, 
City Council, Mayor John Suthers and Sheriff Bill Elder, as well as 
members of regulatory agencies and owners of local cannabis clubs. 
The public will be welcome as well. All parties agree good 
legislation isn't written in a vacuum.

They also addressed the elephant in the room: clubs acting like de 
facto dispensaries by effectively selling cannabis on site.

"I think they're jumping over the ropes," says Roupe. "You cannot 
sell it in Colorado Springs unless you have a medical license ... and 
in our county, we decided to ban [recreational sales] with the option 
to revisit that eventually. And here are those clubs who are 
flaunting those values and saying 'come and get me.'"

Stark says when he won legal challenges against opening A64, people 
assumed cannabis clubs could sell cannabis.

"Are those people committing crimes? That's not my decision," says 
Stark. "But by not having a clear set of definitions, we kind of 
opened up Pandora's box."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom