January 04, 2010 09:52 PM UTC

"Sensible" Regulation vs. Cop-Favored Buzzkill

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• by: Colorado Pols

Two competing schemes to regulate the burgeoning medical marijuana industry in Colorado we’ll be talking more about this session, summarized by the Boulder Daily Camera:

The debate facing Colorado legislators on medical marijuana regulation is taking shape with the release of two draft bills, one from state Sen. Chris Romer, a Denver Democrat who has taken a lead role on the issue, and the other, much tougher bill from the County Sheriffs of Colorado.

Romer’s legislation would create a medical marijuana licensing board, similar to the state liquor board, to issue licenses to “medical marijuana clinics” (not dispensaries) and commercial growers who supply medical marijuana patients. Each license would be the subject of a public hearing, and licensees would have to pass background checks and show they and their business partners are “of good moral character.”

The bill also allows local communities to regulate the number of dispensaries within their borders and charge higher sales taxes on medical marijuana than on general retail.

Clinics would have to file patient care plans with the state to demonstrate they do more for patients than just sell them pot.

The law enforcement bill, in contrast, makes no provision for retail-style dispensaries, even those with patient care plans. It would limit caregivers to no more than five patients.

In other news, the city of Fruita plans to refer a special medical marijuana sales tax to their voters for approval–law-and-order quibbles aside, there’s something we think every civic-minded member of the community can agree on.