DILLON TO CONSIDER MEDICAL MARIJUANA BAN

DILLON, Colo. -- To ban medical marijuana dispensaries from Dillon,
Town Council members are moving forward on an ordinance that
prohibits giving licenses to businesses deemed a public nuisance, or
that violate state and/or federal law.

The ordinance will be reviewed with a public hearing Tuesday at
Dillon Town Hall starting at 6 p.m. The ordinance was already
approved at first reading, but it must be approved again for
regulations to take effect.

Mayor Barbara Davis said she heard that some people will be coming
to the town meeting who have a need for medical marijuana, and who
would like to see a dispensary closer to their home.

"Council members need to make a decision on what the public is
saying," Davis said. "I still struggle with disallowing it in our
town, but I'm open to council's ideas, and it's important for us to
weigh in on the public testimony."

The Dillon council rejected an ordinance earlier this year that
would regulate medical marijuana businesses within town limits, and
requested that town staff draft new regulations to keep dispensaries
out of town. A majority of Dillon's council members have said they
don't approve of dispensaries, and that federal laws should be
upheld in any business practice. Council members cited concerns
about abuse, need and lack of state regulations as reasons for not
moving forward on approving regulations.

The town of Dillon currently has a moratorium on medical marijuana
dispensaries in place; it wil expire Feb. 13. Any action taken to
officially bar dispensaries, or to come up with a new set of
regulations, must take place before that date.

In Summit County, regulations for dispensaries have already been
approved in Silverthorne, Frisco and Breckenridge.