PAONIA VOTERS WILL DETERMINE FATE OF MARIJUANA CENTERS

The Paonia Town Council has approved the ballot questions for the
Nov. 2 election. There will be three questions related to commercial
medical marijuana businesses.

Voters will select either yes or no for each of the three questions.

The first question will be:

"Shall the Town of Paonia allow regulated commercial medical
marijuana centers within the town limits?"

The second question will be:

"Shall the Town of Paonia allow regulated commercial medical
marijuana infused product manufacturing and regulated commercial
medical marijuana optional premises cultivation operations in the town limits?"

The third question will be:

"If medical marijuana centers are allowed, should the Town of Paonia
impose an additional two percent retail medical marijuana and
paraphernalia tax with such revenue derived from such medical
marijuana tax be collected and spent as a voter approved revenue
change, nonwithstanding any revenue or expenditure limitation
contained in Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution?"

Voting yes or no on the questions will not take away the
constitutional right of an individual who has a medical marijuana
card from the State of Colorado. An individual will still be able to
grow up to six marijuana plants for their own use. State-approved
caregivers will continue to be able to have five patients and grow
six plants for each patient. The ballot will only apply to commercial
operations involving retail sales, manufacturing or cultivation.

The town council is also working on the provisions of an ordinance
which would be enacted after the Nov. 2 election. Depending on the
outcome of the election, regulations for each of the three types of
medical marijuana businesses will be retained or removed from the ordinance.

By having the ordinance prepared in advance of the election, voters
will know what becomes law by voting yes. For example, the current
ordinance draft says a maximum of two licensed medical marijuana
centers will be allowed within town limits, and that a center cannot
be within 250 feet of any other medical marijuana center. If voters
approve the centers, then those regulations would be enacted. If
voters disapprove of the licensed centers, the regulation permitting
the two centers would be removed from the ordinance.