COUNCIL PAUSES LICENSING FOR MARIJUANA SHOPS

Fort Collins will "take a breather" in dealing with medical marijuana
dispensaries while it sorts out how to regulate the fast-growing industry.

The City Council voted 6-1 in favor of an ordinance imposing a
moratorium on issuing sales tax licenses for medical marijuana
dispensaries, or MMDs. The moratorium will begin Dec. 11 and run
through March 31.

Council members said the city needs time to research issues
surrounding MMDs and the rules that should be applied to them through
zoning and other forms of regulation, council members said.

Drafting the potential regulations will include a public process and
the likely involvement of the city's planning and zoning board before
coming back to the council for consideration.

The break also will allow the city to see what direction on MMDs will
come out of the state Legislature next year, officials said.

But council member David Roy, who voted against the ordinance, said
the moratorium is not needed. The city staff can develop standards
without it, he said.

Accepting marijuana as medicine has fallen victim to the "last throes
of the war on drugs," he said.

"I think the moratorium is simply a reflection of an attitude that is
no longer valid and expresses fear that should have been long gone,"
he said.

Municipalities and counties statewide are struggling with how to deal
with MMDs since decisions at the state and federal levels led to an
explosion in the number of dispensaries. Medical marijuana was
approved by state voters through an amendment to the state
constitution in 2000.

The number of dispensaries with sales tax licenses in Fort Collins
has nearly doubled to 58 during the past two weeks, city officials
said. Another 19 applications for licenses are pending.

Supporters of MMDs said some form of regulation would be appropriate,
such as identifying how close one may be to a school, but a
moratorium would hamper the market.

Fort Collins resident Shane Miller said the public recognizes the use
of marijuana as a medicine "is not a radical idea."

State voters saw that when they approved the amendment to the state
constitution legalizing medical marijuana, he said, and they intended
that it should be readily available.

"Artificially restraining it in any way is a subversion of that
intent," he said.

Two weeks ago, the Loveland City Council approved an eight-month
moratorium on licensing MMDs.

The Larimer County commissioners are scheduled to consider a
moratorium on licenses until July. During the moratorium the county
is expected to look at land-use issues related to medical marijuana
production as well as its processing and dispersal.

Operators of local dispensaries said they would work with the city in
coming up with regulations over the next three months.

Council member Ben Manvel said the moratorium is not a radial action
but "just gives us a chance to get our act together."