MARIJUANA LICENSING, ZONING ON COUNCIL AGENDA TONIGHT

Procedures For Getting A License, Fees Included.

City Council will consider two medical marijuana ordinances at
tonight's regular meeting -- one to spell out a licensing procedure,
and the second to establish zoning regulations for where those
businesses can operate.

When a majority on council narrowly voted two weeks ago not to let
city voters decide whether to allow medical marijuana centers in
Pueblo, they started the city down the road toward licensing the
businesses here.

Monday night, council will conducting public hearings and final votes
on the the proposed licensing and zoning ordinances. Both measures are
on the regular meeting agenda. Council's weekly work session will
begin at 5:30 p.m. and its regular meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

* The licensing ordinance gives the city the choice of setting up a
five-member licensing board or a single licensing officer. Council has
had some preliminary discussions with Municipal Court Judge William
Alexander about serving in that role.

The process for getting and keeping a license would be similar to
obtaining a liquor license, but more stringent in some areas.

Anyone wanting to open a medical marijuana center in the city would
first have to obtain: a limited-use permit; a city sales tax license;
a state sales tax license; and both city and state marijuana center
licenses.

The city would charge a $3,472 license fee to operate a marijuana
center or an infusion business, where marijuana products, such as
cookies or oils are prepared. The yearly renewal fee would be $1,684.
State law requires that any licensed center grow at least 70 percent
of the marijuana it sells. The city ordinance would require that the
plants be grown on adjoining land or buildings to the licensed center.

Security is a major concern with marijuana centers and the ordinance
has an extensive section on security requirements, as well as how
records will be kept.

* The zoning ordinance spells out that marijuana centers can only be
located in business zones (B-3, B-4 and Business Park zoning) as well
as in industrial zones or I-3 zones. It establishes a minimum
1,000-foot buffer distance between a marijuana center and: day-care
centers; schools; public buildings; bars or taverns; or any other
marijuana center.

It would establish a required 500-foot buffer between a center and any
Interstate 25 right-of-way, or a local hospital. It would require a
250-foot buffer between any marijuana business and a residential zones.