SUMMIT COUNTY POT DISPENSARY BLOSSOMS IN FIRST MONTH

Municipalities Grapple With Regulating Thriving Business; More Shops
On The Horizon

FRISCO - Summit County's only medical marijuana store - Medical
Marijuana of the Rockies in Frisco - has prospered in its first month
as other entrepreneurs await regulations.

"For a few hours during the day, we're slamming," said Jerry Olson,
the store's co-owner.

In its first month after opening Aug. 1, the store saw about 150 to
180 patients and accrued about $30,000 in revenue before taxes.

It opened before Frisco put such businesses on hold to draft
regulations. Breckenridge, Dillon and Silverthorne have done the same.

By mid-October, Frisco and Breckenridge will likely have zoning and
operating regulations in place for more dispensaries to open their
doors.

And the number of physician-approved patients is growing.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment last updated
its website at the end of June, when 111 patients in Summit County
were registered for medicinal marijuana ID cards through the state.

Statewide, there were 8,918 registered.

But experts with the state health department registrar predict the
number to hit 15,000 by the end of the year, according to a report in
Aspen Times Weekly.

Jerry Olson, co-owner of the Frisco marijuana dispensary, said folks
have become less apprehensive about applying for the registry.

"People have finally gotten to the point where comfort levels are OK
with discussing their need," he said.

According to the state, 89 percent of registrants report severe pain
and 26 percent report muscle spasms.

Severe nausea, cancer and HIV are among the eight conditions listed on
the state medical marijuana website at www.cdphe.state.co.us.

Herbal remedies Medical Marijuana of the Rockies is discreetly located
in Frisco's Crossroads shopping center off Summit Boulevard next to
Jazzercise.

>From the sidewalk, one can only see a desk and office area through the
large glass windows.

It's preferred that patients make an appointment before visiting, and
nobody gets access to the medicine without a physician's referral.

Once the paperwork is in place, the patient is taken back to an open
area with comfortable chairs, an acoustic guitar and marijuana-related
reading material ranging from magazines to books on
cultivation.

On one side of the room is a rack of small plants, or clones, with
names like "AK-47," "Blue Hawaiian," and "White Widow" growing under
some lights.

There's a bar/display case that Olson said came from a skate shop in
Beaver Creek. Behind it is a tray full of cookies and Rice Krispy treats.

To select paraphernalia or a strain of marijuana, the patient is taken
back to a small room with large jars of fragrant herb. There are about
five strains to choose from, and all are priced near street value.

Patients across the state are welcome, but those with the business
operators listed as their primary caregiver receive a 10 percent discount.

Caregivers may legally cultivate more plants the more patients they
have.

Olson said selecting a caregiver should be a decision that takes three
to five days after one's doctor has provided a referral.

He said caregivers vary among prices, product quality and
availability.

He plans to offer free yoga classes and other discounts to "care
members."

Olson said the dispensary welcomes quality products from other patient
growers.

"With a maximum of six plants, you can sometimes cultivate more than
you need," he said. "There are a lot of capable growers out there."

Legal issues Breckenridge Town Council recently gave preliminary
approval to a set of regulations specifying signage, security
(surveillance cameras, permanent locking safe), hours (9 a.m. to 7
p.m., seven days per week) and location, among others in a roughly
20-page ordinance.

A similar set of regulations is moving through the town of
Frisco.

Both towns' laws for dispensaries are to be approved by mid-October,
and potential dispensary entrepreneurs have already inquired with the
towns. Both towns' rules would prohibit on-site consumption, which
Olson said is irrational.

"There are times when I want to consume on-site," he said. "They're
not being compassionate toward the patient."

He said it's the responsibility of the patient to arrange a ride home
from the dispensary, and that driving under the influence is a police
matter.

He compared the situation to traditional pharmacies, where patients
generally aren't stopped from taking medication if they need them
immediately.

As dispensaries continue to pop up across the state and in the
mountains, local municipalities are burdened with creating their own
regulations.

Winter Park and Granby recently enacted moratoriums similar to towns
in Summit County, to allow time to draft laws.

Breckenridge Councilman Eric Mamula said at a recent council meeting
that the state appears to be handling issues related to medical
marijuana "very loose."

Town manager Tim Gagen said local entities are working to get some
changes made at the state level.

Though medicinal marijuana in Colorado was voter-approved in 2000, the
recent wave in new dispensaries is likely the result of the Obama
administration's decision not to target operations compliant with state law.