Medical marijuana laws are a changin’ in Colorado as a new bill, that some say violates citizens of Colorado’s constitutional right to medical weed, was passed by the Colorado Senate in a 26-9 vote, yesterday. The bill with its new regulations now heads back on over to the House to review the changes. If the House re-approves the bill, it would likely become law because it contains a bunch of provisions requested by Governor Bill Ritter, including allowing local bans.
As a result of the new changes Colorado’s revenue department reports they’ll need to hire 27 new enforcement agents, auditors and administrators to enforce the regulations. Those jobs will cost Colorado around $2 million a year. But, don’t worry…those bouncer and bean counter gigs will all be funded by dispensary owners, growers and paraphernalia makers. Unfortunately, once the law goes through there’ll be about fifty percent LESS dispensaries in Colorado to support that shit…as a result of the new tighter restrictions.
The bill would require dispensaries to obtain redundant state and local licenses and allow cities and counties to pick and choose which dispensaries to shut-down within their borders. Luckily those areas that look to ban dispensaries would still be forced to allow individual caregivers to provide marijuana to up to five people. Dispensaries also would have to undergo criminal background checks, and the state revenue department would check that their funding has no criminal ties. Dispensaries would also have to grow 70 percent of their marijuana themselves, a Big Brother-esque provision aimed at keeping tabs on where the weed is sold.
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