COUNTY EXTENDS MARIJUANA MORATORIUM

After nearly two hours of public comment and discussion, Chaffee
County Commissioners Tuesday extended the county moratorium on
medical marijuana operations until April 15, and set another public
meeting for April 5.

Action came during the regular commission meeting. In addition, they
directed county personnel to continue revising zoning and licensing
regulations.

Commissioners did not accept the county planning commission
recommendation to prohibit cultivation, manufacture and sale of
medical marijuana and derivative products in unincorporated Chaffee County.

The planning commission prohibition recommendation came during its
Nov. 30 meeting in response to proposed changes to medical marijuana
zoning regulations.

Those changes would have allowed growing and product manufacture but
would have prohibited sales in unincorporated parts of the county.

Planning commissioners recommended denial of those changes,
prohibiting all medical marijuana related activity outside municipal limits.

County commissioners in turn directed personnel to revise proposed
zoning regulations. New regulations would restrict growing and
manufacturing operations to industrial zones only, prohibiting them
in all other zones.

They would prohibit sales in all zones of unincorporated Chaffee County.

Licensing regulations would stipulate all growth and production
distribution to within Chaffee County.

Commissioner Dennis Giese said that without restricting distribution
to within the county, "we could become a mecca of medical marijuana
growth" for the rest of the state.

Commissioner Tim Glenn offered a scenario under which the county
allows growth and manufacture, but municipalities prohibit sales. He
said his fear is producers in Chaffee County would be "exporting"
their products to other counties.

"I don't want to approve an issue without first knowing where the
municipalities stand on it," Glenn said.

An additional licensing stipulation commissioners proposed was all
medical marijuana businesses be required to undergo thorough building
inspections at the inception followed by annual facility inspections.

Glenn emphasized need for clarity about the tentative nature of
proposed regulations. He said he does not want prospective medical
marijuana business owners to base their decisions on current proceedings.

"This is not a done deal," Glenn said.

He said any changes the county makes could eventually differ based
upon what state and local governments ultimately do.