Jacob Bell
New Member
With a unanimous vote Tuesday, La Plata County commissioners created a new set of licensing regulations and fees for the county's flourishing medical marijuana industry.
"In a matter of months, we pulled together a whole new structure," said Interim County Manager Joanne Spina as she applauded staff members for their work on the project.
Medical marijuana businesses are required under local land-use rules and state laws to have a local license. The fee to go through the process will be $3,000, commissioners decided.
The amount is slightly more than about the $2,700 county officials estimate it will cost to vet and make a determination on each application. That figure could change, however, to reflect the program's actual costs in coming years. Elected officials have directed county staff to neither make nor lose money on the regulatory process.
The regulations strive to ensure medical marijuana cultivators, processors and sellers have the appropriate permissions to do their work. They also aid in the county's efforts to protect the safety and security of those businesses, as well as their employees and neighbors, by authorizing building inspections, requiring fire-code compliance and demanding disclosure to emergency-response agencies about the hazardous chemicals and materials on medical marijuana operation sites.
The hallmark legislation adds to a temporary set of countywide land-use regulations passed earlier this year for the cultivation and sale of the drug, which remains illegal under federal law but is allowed for some medical purposes under state law.
Much of the industry and the regulatory processes guiding it remain new to most involved, county officials said. And it could make finding a hearing officer to administer the local rules and fees more difficult.
"There are not a lot of folks out there with experience in this right now," County Attorney Sheryl Rogers told commissioners.
Rogers said her department has created a job description for the post, and they will be seeking someone with a law-enforcement or legal background.
Only one representative from the marijuana industry attended the meeting to offer comments. A representative for Durango Organics requested the county work to keep fees low, saying they're already bearing a formidable financial burden from various layers of regulation.
Commissioner Wally White said this should improve.
"I'm hoping in the future, if things continue on a smooth track ... these fees will come down as we streamline the process more," he said.
Source: Durango Herald, The (CO)
Copyright: 2011 The Durango Herald
Website: The Durango Herald | Durango's home-page for breaking news, weather, sports, local events and entertainment
"In a matter of months, we pulled together a whole new structure," said Interim County Manager Joanne Spina as she applauded staff members for their work on the project.
Medical marijuana businesses are required under local land-use rules and state laws to have a local license. The fee to go through the process will be $3,000, commissioners decided.
The amount is slightly more than about the $2,700 county officials estimate it will cost to vet and make a determination on each application. That figure could change, however, to reflect the program's actual costs in coming years. Elected officials have directed county staff to neither make nor lose money on the regulatory process.
The regulations strive to ensure medical marijuana cultivators, processors and sellers have the appropriate permissions to do their work. They also aid in the county's efforts to protect the safety and security of those businesses, as well as their employees and neighbors, by authorizing building inspections, requiring fire-code compliance and demanding disclosure to emergency-response agencies about the hazardous chemicals and materials on medical marijuana operation sites.
The hallmark legislation adds to a temporary set of countywide land-use regulations passed earlier this year for the cultivation and sale of the drug, which remains illegal under federal law but is allowed for some medical purposes under state law.
Much of the industry and the regulatory processes guiding it remain new to most involved, county officials said. And it could make finding a hearing officer to administer the local rules and fees more difficult.
"There are not a lot of folks out there with experience in this right now," County Attorney Sheryl Rogers told commissioners.
Rogers said her department has created a job description for the post, and they will be seeking someone with a law-enforcement or legal background.
Only one representative from the marijuana industry attended the meeting to offer comments. A representative for Durango Organics requested the county work to keep fees low, saying they're already bearing a formidable financial burden from various layers of regulation.
Commissioner Wally White said this should improve.
"I'm hoping in the future, if things continue on a smooth track ... these fees will come down as we streamline the process more," he said.
Source: Durango Herald, The (CO)
Copyright: 2011 The Durango Herald
Website: The Durango Herald | Durango's home-page for breaking news, weather, sports, local events and entertainment
