SIGNATURES OK'D FOR POT INITIATIVE

Voters likely to decide on dispensary ban in November

The battle over whether medical marijuana businesses should be allowed
in Fort Collins is a step closer to going to city voters.

The city clerk's office said Friday a petition drive supporting an
ordinance that would ban medical marijuana businesses had collected
enough signatures to move the proposal forward.

The office verified the validity of 4,571 signatures on the petitions,
which were turned in Tuesday, before it quit counting, said Chief
Deputy City Clerk Rita Harris.

Organizers needed the signatures of 4,214 registered city voters to
advance the measure but turned in more than 7,000 signatures.

The petitions were some of the "cleanest" the clerk's office has ever
seen, Harris said.

Only 11 percent of the reviewed signatures were rejected for various
reasons, such as the signer not living in the city.

The ordinance, which would ban medical marijuana dispensaries and grow
operations from the city, will be forwarded to the City Council for
consideration at its Aug. 16 meeting.

The council could adopt the ordinance as written or send it to voters
to decide the matter in an election.

Organizers are seeking to have the vote held in conjunction with the
Nov. 1 general election. The next scheduled city election is in 2013.

Bob Powell, chairman of the group Concerned Fort Collins Citizens,
which organized the petition drive, said there is an "outside chance"
the council would adopt the ordinance, although it's not likely.

"Right now, we're gearing up for a campaign," he said. "We'll pull
together a small group next week and start brainstorming ideas for the
campaign."

Opponents of the ban have until 5 p.m. July 29 to protest signatures
on the petitions.

Terri Gomez of Citizens for Safer Neighborhoods, which opposes the
proposed ban, said lawyers working with the group are expected to
scrutinize petition signatures and the process used to collect them.

The group's next move will be determined by what the lawyers find, she
said.

"Right now, we're not sure what we will do," Gomez said. "But we're
planning for every eventuality. A campaign is likely the next step."

Powell said he expects the petitions will stand up to any challenges
of signatures given the large "cushion" of signatures that have
already been verified as well as the 2,500 signatures that have not
been checked.

Fort Collins has 21 licensed medical marijuana businesses. Other
regional communities have banned marijuana businesses, including
Loveland, Windsor and Greeley.

Supporters of the ban say Fort Collins has become a hub for marijuana
distribution, a development that could be harmful to the community.

Opponents of the ban say dispensaries provide safe, heavily regulated
places for patients to acquire the medicine they need. Tax revenue
from marijuana sales would benefit the city, supporters of medical
marijuana say.

Critics of medical marijuana say the dispensary model that emerged
around the state about two years ago is not what voters intended when
they approved an amendment to the Colorado Constitution that allows
the use of marijuana for debilitating medical conditions.