MEDICAL MARIJUANA COMING TO ASPEN

ASPEN -- Aspen is about to have its first medical marijuana dispensary.

The manager of Aspen L.E.A.F. (Locals Emporium of Alternative Farms),
who asked to be identified only as Charlie at the wishes of his
family, said Wednesday that a local ownership group plans to open a
dispensary in downtown Aspen next week. They are currently looking at
a couple of locations to set up shop, and a lease will be signed within days.

We're looking at two locations in the center of town," Charlie said.
"We've spoken to the landlords, and they are very supportive of it."

Several strains of the plant, which is Colorado-grown, will be
offered, and will be available in edible and vaporized form for those
qualified to buy cannabis. Starter plants with lighting equipment
will be sold, as will kief and hashish.

Under Colorado's medical marijuana law, approved by voters as
Amendment 20 in 2000, patients with certain conditions, including
HIV, muscle spasms and chronic pain, can use medical marijuana as
long as they get a doctor's approval and register with the state.

The law permits patients or their designated caregivers to grow up to
six marijuana plants or possess two ounces of usable marijuana.

Although they don't need much space for the dispensary, Charlie said
he and the owners are looking for a location that offers privacy for
those who want to consume on-site.

We're hoping that at each of our locations, we'll have a lounge area,
a private place for our patients," he said of Aspen and possible
future locations in Eagle and southern Colorado.

The Aspen pot shop will become the Roaring Fork Valley's third dispensary.

The WIN Health Institute, an alternative health care cooperative
located in Basalt, was set to open a dispensary Aug. 10, and Colorado
Mountain Dispensary (C.M.D.) opened for business in Carbondale in early July.

Charlie said he and the owners believe there is enough room in the
market to have three dispensaries within 30 miles of each other.

It's a budding market, and we want to be part of it," he said. "It
fits in with the Roaring Fork Valley."

Charlie, who has experience operating dispensaries in the Los Angeles
area, said his group plans to differentiate themselves with an
educated staff who will be able to give personalized care to their
patients, matching the appropriate strain to a particular person, and
his or her ailment.

We have a knowledgeable ownership group with green thumbs," he said.
"We'll try to keep as many strains as possible available ... we're
offering a little of everything."

The product is ready to be harvested in a warehouse and will be
available when the group opens their doors.

An eighth of an ounce will be priced at $60, and locals' discounts
and other pricing programs will be offered at reduced rates.

The group filed a business license application with the city of Aspen
this week.

Chris Bendon, the city's community development director, said there
is no formal application, but a question related to zoning was asked
by a representative of Colorado Medical Marijuana Supply, the local
ownership group.

Our zoning code does not specifically define this use or cite medical
marijuana dispensary as an allowed use in any of our zone districts,"
Bendon said via e-mail, adding the issue will be discussed today in a
staff meeting. "However, it may be similar to other allowed uses, and
that's what we need to talk through."

The Basalt Town Council on Tuesday approved a 90-day moratorium on
new pot dispensaries to buy time for its planning staff to work on
regulations governing such facilities.

Neither Pitkin County Sheriff Bob Braudis nor Aspen Police Chief
Richard Pryor said they see any problems with a pot dispensary in Aspen.

Pryor did say security could be an issue, adding some municipalities
require beefed-up protection systems to deter break-ins.