MMJ dispensaries ordered to match state regulations

MMJ issue not over yet

JTC 320

By Courtney Riley

Regulations on medical marijuana dispensaries in the city of Fort Collins will now conform more closely with the requirements of the state of Colorado because of the passing of the second reading of three ordinances by city council last Tuesday.

Infinite Wellness, an MMJ dispensary located at 1740 S. College Ave.,

displays the variety of marijuana it offers in a display case.

Ginny Sawyer, the neighborhood administrator, presented the ordinances and intended changes to the council and residents of Fort Collins.

Ordinance No. 018, 2011 proposed that all medical marijuana dispensaries in Fort Collins should be grandfathered, which passed 5-2 with council members Lisa Poppaw and Wade Troxell being the only two to vote against it.

Ordinance No. 019, 2011 called for conforming licensing to state law and removing redundant language from the city’s regulations. It also proposed a revision to eliminate the restriction on growing medical marijuana by individual patients in a duplex or multi-family dwelling unit, which was included in the first hearing of the ordinance.

In addition, it called for removing the 8 ounce limit on buying and receiving medical marijuana, while maintaining the 8 ounce. limit on selling it.

The regulation also passed 5-2 with Poppaw and Troxell opposing it.

Ordinance No. 020, 2011 proposed amendments to the land use code to define MMJ dispensaries and the zones in which they would be allowed, which passed unanimously.

Mayor Doug Hutchinson said he toured four dispensaries to better educate himself on the issue before making his decisions on the regulations.

“Seeing this was an enlightening experience because there are some stereotypical ideas about (MMJ dispensaries) that I didn’t really see,” he said. “I think Fort Collins has done a good job diligently trying to make sure that these businesses are not a problem in the community.”

Council member Ben Manvel agreed with Hutchinson.

“I think a lot of people in Fort Collins would learn a lot if they could see these operations,” he said. “In the back of my mind I was thinking, ‘this is not a person in a back alley selling me a baggie, these are business people.’ They like their business and they want to stay in business.”

Matt Ryan, the owner of Infinite Wellness, said he’s willing to follow the rules and do whatever it takes to have a legitimate, fair business.

“We’re not pot stores with the marijuana leaves, and the rainbows and the hippies, but a business to benefit others who have medical needs,” he said. “We think it’s best for the community.”

Damien Farris, a resident of Fort Collins and employee of Top Shelf Colorado, said before the ordinances were passed, MMJ dispensaries in Fort Collins were forced to go to other cities, such as Boulder, to buy more marijuana because of the 8 ounce limit on purchasing.

“Being able to work with our business alliances will allow us to work within our city without having to drive an hour or two to other cities that may not have Colorado’s best interest at heart,” he said.

Scoot Crandall, the executive director of Team Fort Collins opposed the ordinances. He referenced an e-mail from Dr. Tom Crowley, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver and the director of the division of substance dependence at the university, saying that medical marijuana may have medical uses, but it also has adverse effects. He suggested that it should just be distributed through pharmacies.

“Medical marijuana would finally be medical,” he said.

But council member Aislinn Kottwitz said the passing of the ordinances was not a discussion of the harm or benefits of medical marijuana. If residents of Fort Collins want to ban medical marijuana, she said, they can start an initiative.

“This is not condoning the use of marijuana medically or illegally,” she said. “It’s legal in the state of Colorado, and it’s our job to make sure it’s available to those who legally meet the requirements.”

She also emphasized that the use of medical marijuana is not a simple issue, and the passing of the three ordinances are not the end of the issue.

Manvel agreed, saying this is an ongoing process that will likely change within a year.

“There are so many other things that can happen with medical marijuana,” Kottwitz said. “It’s a catch-22.”