Since moving to Boulder, I have always been aware of the states’ view on medical marijuana and the laws that are in affect, but I never dreamed it would become what it is now. Starting about six months ago, I began to notice marijuana dispensaries popping up all over town, and the subject of MMJ (medicinal marijuana) has been receiving increasingly more media attention as more of these stores open up. As of last week, Denver has issues more than 300 sales-tax licenses for dispensaries all over the state. The number of dispensaries now exceeds the number of Starbucks in the metro Denver area.
If one were to take a drive down any major street in Denver, its almost impossible to ignore the bright neon signs flashing “Daddy Fat Sacks” or “Ganja Gourmet.” So many of these dispensaries were popping up in towns all over the state that some counties put a moratorium on them, which would ban the opening of any new businesses that provided MMJ to licensed users. Many citizens of Denver thought there wasn’t enough clear regulation in the system and wanted the rules changed. So thats what happened in the capitol building today.
Many of the members of Denver’s City Council have voiced an intent on restricting dispensaries to open within 1,000 feet of any schools, child-care facilities, and even one another. For the dispensaries to obtain a sales-tax license, they must show that they have a location to open the facility to conduct business, and show that they plan to open within 90 days. Although there is much opposition to these dispensaries, the City of Denver doesn’t seem to mind, as long as there are clearly defined rules that card-holding patients and dispensaries adhere to. With Denver having a serious budget crisis, these businesses might alleviate the economic strain felt throughout the city as they will bring in millions in taxes, and that number will only go up with the number of dispensaries and MMJ applicants increasing.
The number of patients in Colorado now is estimated to be 20,000 and that number is expected to rise to 40,000 by this time next year. The MMJ registry office in Denver is receiving up to a thousand new applications a day, and at $90 an application well…you do the math. Also, that $90 is only good for one year, and after that the MMJ patient must re-submit their application with another $90. So you can see how the state is benefitting from this whole deal.
There are also other rules that are being enacted such as no felons can work at any dispensaries in the state, and there can be no on-site comsumption of marijuana at the dispensary. A MMJ card-holding patient is only allowed to possess two ounces of dried product and have six marijuana plants. Of the six only three can be in the mature flowering stage. A card-holder can also name a “Caregiver”, who is someone who grows the product for the patient in case the patient cannot grow themselves. And this is the loophole that is allowing all these dispensaries to go into business. The owners of dispensaries are offering incentives for people to name them as their caregiver as this allows them to grow more plants, and therefore make more money.
One would think that since MMJ is legal in Colorado, the prices would be different than the price of marijuana on the street. WRONG! Prices are actually the same, with 1/8th ounce (3.5 grams) costing anywhere from $45-$70. The only thing is that the product is only of the best quality, and the dispensaries know the actual strains they sell, and the medicinal effects each strain posessess. Dispensaries also carry a variety of other MMJ products such as edibles, oils, tinctures, drinks, and some even have lotions that provide the same effects one would get if it were smoked….Crazy right?
“If you smoke like I smoke, then ya’ high like every day…”
~Warren G – Regulators
~Andy
