FIRST POT DISPENSARY OPENS ON MAIN STREET, BRECKENRIDGE

Four More Could Follow

BRECKENRIDGE - Breckenridge's first medical marijuana dispensary
opened recently, and four more could be setting up shop soon.

Medicine Man, LLC, started doing business Nov. 24 near the
intersection of Main Street and Ski Hill Road.

The business upstairs at 101 N. Main Street complies with the town's
specific location guidelines that prohibit such dispensaries from
opening near schools, near solely residential properties or on a
downtown ground floor.

Dispensary employee Josh Hopson said town staff were easy to work
with, but neighbors had a few complaints - including concern about the
unmistakable odor of marijuana.

Landlord Turk Montepare said there was a ventilation issue that has
since been fixed and that the other tenants now "seem pretty satisfied."

He said the discreet operation seems to be making a "relatively low
impact" on the area.

"They've been very good to work with," Montepare said.

Town spokeswoman Kim DiLallo said applications have been approved for
dispensaries Green Natural Solutions at 1900 Airport Road and Organix
at 1795 Airport Road. Two additional applications have not yet been
approved.

Medicine Man office manager Brian Miller said he's not worried about
losing business once the others open, as he's confident in the new
dispensary's service and quality.

"Our main competition I think is the black market," he
said.

Medicine Man offers marijuana buds, hash and edibles such as suckers
and brownie balls.

Hopson said the dispensary is caregiver for about a half-dozen medical
marijuana card holders. The more patients for whom a dispensary is
caregiver, the more marijuana it is able to keep in stock.

Those who make Medicine Man their primary caregiver get discounts and
a free glass medicine jar.

10-page application For patients who are just looking to buy some pot
- - such as visitors from the Front Range or locals who've designated
caregivers elsewhere - the dispensary requires an application that's
about 10 pages long.

Other dispensaries haven't previously used such applications, but a
recent Colorado Court of Appeals ruling that a caregiver must know
patients personally and do more than sell marijuana has created an
incentive to get to know customers better.

The Colorado Board of Health is expected to approve a specific
definition of caregiver later this month. Meanwhile there's no law
prohibiting a dispensary from simply providing legal patients with
pot.

Breckenridge attorney Sean McAllister said the applications record a
patient's condition, allergies, amount of medicine used and more. He
said they provide "evidence of a relationship" and that it's "better
for them to have some connection" with the patient.

Hopson said Medicine Man could soon offer doctor services for
consultations and clones of plants that patients can take home and
grow. Miller said many of the patients are home growers, but he's not
concerned they'll stop buying medicine from the dispensary.

"It's not the easiest thing to do. Most people screw it up," he said
of home-grow operations.

He also said the dispensary may soon offer products such as dirt and
nutrients for growers who need some help.

"I like the job," he said. "They're all needing help; I like helping
others."

Robert Allen