MARIJUANA QUESTION ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

OURAY -- In contrast to the last two Ouray City Council meetings, in
which medical marijuana was the main topic, only about a half dozen
people showed up for a special council meeting to put the question of
medical marijuana to voters on the November ballot at a special
meeting Tuesday night.

Between 50 and 80 people came to the last two regular council
meetings, with discussions centering around the proposal of a medical
marijuana manufacturing plant to open in the old Biota building on the
north end of town.

The city council had been discussing medical marijuana for months, but
attendance had dwindled until Denver-based Herbal Connections
approached the city about opening a facility to produce "drinks,
tinctures, topicals and other edible marijuana infused products"
prompting more people to come to meetings to protest the venture.

But the voters as a whole deserve to make the decision on whether to
allow any type of marijuana operation inside city limits, said Mayor
Bob Risch. During the last nine months, city staff and attorneys have
explained the possibilities allowed by recent state legislation and
asked for public input at meetings, in person and on the city's website.

The meeting Tuesday night lasted only about 20 minutes and only one
person from the audience spoke, Risch said, asking about how possible
fees or taxes from medical marijuana facilities could benefit the town.

Risch said it was a good question, but one that could only be answered
once the city discusses taxes or fees. And that won't come until after
the vote, which is a simple "yes" or "no" question.

According to city clerk/treasurer Kathy Elmont, the ballot item will
read: "Shall the City of Ouray, Colorado allow the operation of
medical marijuana centers, optional premises cultivation operations,
and medical marijuana-infused products manufacturers within the City
of Ouray?"

Risch said he feels good about the decision to put the issue before
the voters.

"It's an important enough issue that we need to get all the input we
can, and most on the council did not feel comfortable making a
decision on our own," he said. "We decided it would be a simple
question about medical marijuana facilities -- yes or no -- and not
complicate it with a tax question, which we'll decide later if that
issues comes up."

At last week's regular meeting, Councilmember Betty Wolfe made a
motion to have the council put an outright ban on all medical
marijuana facilities, but it died for lack of a second.