THE WAR ON DISPENSARIES

I remember about a year ago Sen. Chris Romer started courting the
local dispensaries and medical marijuana organizations under the ruse
that he was going to "pass reasonable legislation to legitimize our
growing industry." As we listened to his proposals, it became clear
that his only concern was to make a name for himself as "the one who
would tame the Wild West" and his concern for the patient or local
industry was a deception to further his political goals. His voiced
disdain for the "Wild West" makes him more of an embarrassment to
Colorado than a representative of Colorado.

As local dispensaries and others, such as American Medical Marijuana
Standards Association (AMMSA) President Larry Hill, met with Sen.
Romer, it became clear the senator wanted us to sharpen the knife he
planned to stab us in the back with. We tried to explain to him that
this industry was quite capable of developing its own regulatory
standards for the protection of the patient and the public at large,
but Sen. Romer had other ideas - every transaction videotaped;
card-swipe technology into a central database recording every
transaction; a police investigation of any patient purchasing more
that two ounces per week.

Local organizations and dispensaries soon had to distance themselves
from the senator to maintain their own integrity. About this time the
senator picked up another group of friends to "play" with - California
dispensaries. Sen. Romer continues to add as much startup cost to
opening a dispensary as he can, his latest proposal a $50,000
dispensary license.

The California chain dispensaries are his most ardent supporters.
Support for his proposals at the local level, whether patient or
dispensary, is virtually nonexistent.

From Sen. Romer's own remarks his intent is easy to ascertain: "I plan
to reduce the number of dispensaries in Colorado by 50 percent within
a year."

Did you know that 50 percent of the dispensaries in Colorado are
California chains? Vincent Carroll's March 26 article in The Denver
Post indicates which 50 percent the senator would like to get rid of:
"Romer remains committed to regulatory standards that squeeze out what
he calls [a] 'knucklehead' dispensary model run by people with no
expertise and not enough capital."

It is sad that he views his own constituents as "knuckleheads without
enough capital." It is the working poor who put him into office.

Later on, Mr. Carroll's article states:

"He foresees dispensaries as sophisticated 'wellness' centers
regulated as thorsee oughly as casinos, where every transaction is
videotaped."

Every transaction videotaped? Ever heard of HIPAA or the Fourth
Amendment, Sen. Romer?

"Sophisticated wellness centers" is code for "huge start-up expenses."
This "sophistication" he has proposed includes requiring that 90
percent of a dispensary's medicine be grown on site. So your building
store front and grow operation would cost $5,000 to $10,000 a month
alone.

It is crystal clear what you are trying to pull, Sen. Romer. Mom and
Pop, the working poor and the rest of us knucklehead riffraff can go
to hell, while you pursue your Walgreens, Wal-Mart and Wall Street
version of "sophisticated wellness centers."

Colorado medical marijuana dispensary owner

Editor's note: Boulder Weekly rarely agrees to publish a letter to the
editor anonymously. In this case, the author of the letter felt that
he and his business would be targeted if this letter could be
attributed to him. Given the current political climate, we agreed to
run the letter anonymously, after confirming his identity.