REGULATIONS NOT NEEDED

After retiring from nearly 40 years of government service, I think I
have the prerogative and as a citizen, the authority to bluntly
comment on the rules that may be approved by the city council
concerning medical marijuana regulation.

The need for regulation is apparent, but the degree, it seems, is not.
These are small businesses and cannot match the resources of big
business and our municipalities. From my personal interactions with
city officials, the lack of knowledge about the state constitution,
the subsequent state laws and the rules promulgated by the Colorado
departments of revenue and health is significant.

In general, the duplicity by the city of the state's efforts are
almost total. In some cases, the city's requirements exceed that of
the state. With the exception of the state medical marijuana registry,
their information is available to the city, and I cannot see the need
for most of this.

A couple of examples are:

* The requirement for a professionally drawn diagram of our
facilities. To the best of my knowledge these drawings are for
administrative use only. This is a cost that is not necessary. A neat
hand drawing should be sufficient.

* The requirement for the MMC to pay for an audit by whomever the
license authority chooses, with no specific requirements is not
realistic and can pose an undue and unneeded burden on the MMC.

I could make comments about every paragraph, but I don't see that as
necessary. The point is made. We all pay taxes and fees for the
general services that the city provides. If one individual or one
class of business is made to pay a disproportional share of those
taxes and fees the policies need to be scrutinized and changed.

As public servants (as I was for most of my life), your mandate is, of
course, to serve the people, but it must be with impunity and without
prejudice. The people of this state have determined, by their vote,
that medical marijuana is what they want. As a business owner, I am
trying to accommodate that and make a living. If the promotion of the
will of the people and economic growth and stability is what the city
is seeking, your course is clear.

Tom McMenamin

Colorado Springs