BROOMFIELD CITY COUNCIL VOTES FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA BAN

Council plans second vote on dispensaries July 27

With just a month left before a moratorium expires, the Broomfield
City Council on Tuesday voted to ban medical marijuana
dispensaries.

The 5-4 vote came on the first reading of an ordinance and must be
voted on a second time for the ordinance to become law. The final vote
would come at a July 27 public hearing.

If the City Council votes again in favor of the ban, Broomfield
residents could suspend the ordinance if they launch a successful
petition effort. It would take about 1,283 signatures registered
Broomfield voters to do so, according to city staff. The signatures
would have to be gathered within 30 days of the final vote. The City
Council would then either have to repeal the ordinance or put it up
for a citizens' vote.

Voting in favor of the ban Tuesday were Lori Cox, Martha Derda, Linda
Reynolds, Walt Spader and Greg Stokes. Voting against were Sam Taylor,
Kevin Jacobs, Dennis McCloskey and Bob Gaiser. Todd Schumacher was not
present.

District Attorney Don Quick, the chief prosecutor in Adams and
Broomfield counties, said that the current state law regarding medical
marijuana had created murky waters for cities and law enforcement.
Quick said that when the courts invalidated the state's policy
limiting caregivers to providing medical marijuana to five people, it
created a crack that proponents had "driven a semi-truck through."

In February, the city approved a 180-day moratorium on dispensaries to
allow state legislators time to sort out the complexities of the
issue. The moratorium expires Aug. 21.

As of November, 329 Broomfield residents were on the state registry of
those needing medical marijuana. According to Police Chief Tom Deland,
since that time, the number has skyrocketed, as the age of applicants
has steadily dropped to 26.

"We joke that the greatest epidemic this year was not swine flu,"
Quick said, but "22-year-old snow boarders with bad backs."

Only one citizen, who was in favor of the ban, addressed the City
Council.

Medical marijuana was made legal in 2000 when state voters passed
Amendment 20. Last month, Gov. Bill Ritter signed a law that
implemented a new regulatory system and license requirements, but left
it to local governments -- or voters -- to ban dispensaries and
large-scale marijuana-growing operations in their communities.