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Medical Pot Issue Discussed By Denver City Council

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Nov 2, 2009 7:31 pm US/Mountain

Medical Pot Issue Discussed By Denver City Council

Reporting
Terry Jessup
DENVER (CBS4) ― A Denver city councilman calls medical marijuana dispensaries one of the fastest growing industries in the region and says it's time the city got some control over the explosion.

Councilman Charlie Brown said Monday the new marijuana dispensaries should have licensing requirements similar to those in place for businesses like bars, restaurants and liquor stores. He says "cannabis capitalism" is growing out of control.

Many of the dispensaries just starting out don't want any government regulation, but some of them say it's needed to clear the air about who's providing a medical service and who's just selling weed to street-corner stoners.

"I'd limit dispensaries from being in school zones, college campus areas, near churches; just general respect for other people," said Andy Cookston with Cannabis Medical Technology LLC..

"This is the largest growing industry in our city," Brown said. "I talked to someone this morning who's going to sign a lease tomorrow to open up in Cherry Creek North."

Brown says the dispensaries need to be licensed and need to pay the city's tax rate of 3.62 percent. He says regulation will also make them safer from the potential crime targets they are right now.

"This really opens up to robbery; to people going in, not only stealing money, but also grabbing plants and product," Brown said.

Brown also wants criminal background checks on dispensary operators.

"I don't want felons operating these marijuana stores," he said. "I don't want the Mexican cartel controlling them."

"I think it'd be fine to pay some type of regulation tax on a general product or a licensing fee," Cookston said. "This clarifies the guys who are legal as well as not legal. That's the starting point of it."

Brown took his suggestions to Denver City Council on Monday just to get feedback on any proposed new city ordinance.

Some politicians want the state legislature come up with regulations in January, but Brown says the current growing season for dispensaries needs to be nipped in the bud.

"We need input from the neighborhoods; input from the people in the business; some input from the patients as well; input from law enforcement; but we need to go ahead and move on this in my judgment," Brown said.

Some City Council members are not only against regulation, but openly in favor of legalizing marijuana.

There is a public hearing scheduled before the council's Public Safety Committee on Nov. 18 at the Denver City and County Building where all parties with an interest will be invited to weigh in.

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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