SUMMIT COUNTY EXTENDS POT MORATORIUM

Officials Waiting on Stable State Regs Before Allowing Medical
Marijuana Businesses

BRECKENRIDGE - The Summit Board of County Commissioners voted
unanimously Tuesday to extend a moratorium on medical marijuana
businesses, including retail centers and grow operations, through July.

County officials have extended the now two-year-old moratorium
several times, waiting for clear and stable state regulations to be
put in place to frame local regulations.

But the county commissioners are done waiting.

"We keep having a moratorium because we're waiting for the state to
make rules and they keep punting," assistant county manager Thad Noll
said. "We're going to make rules (by July) whether the state does or not."

County commissioners are set to begin discussing rules and policies
for the sale of medical marijuana in unincorporated Summit County at
their Feb. 7 work session.

There hasn't been an application for a medical marijuana business in
the county in more than a year.

That may be because, from a business perspective, there aren't many
viable locations in the unincorporated county for a storefront. The
resorts won't allow centers in their base areas, and federal and
state laws rule out Farmer's Korner, which is within 1,000 feet of
the high school, according to those in the industry.

But medical marijuana retailers see opportunities for grow operations
in unincorporated parts of the county, where more space is available
and can be more affordable.

"It would be cheaper and it would be easier," Medical Marijuana of
the Rockies owner Jerry Olson. "I would definitely like to see an
opportunity for people within the county to cultivate marijuana
outside of the towns. It would make sense to take advantage of our
agricultural land for agricultural purposes."

State law requires medical marijuana centers to grow a portion of the
product they sell. Many Frisco and Breckenridge retailers grow the
marijuana they sell on site or elsewhere in town.

Residential and commercial grow operations are banned in
unincorporated Summit County.

"We haven't told people where they can grow," Noll said. "You can't
grow in your home because it's not conducive to a residential
neighborhood to have a giant grow operation next door."

Breckenridge, Frisco and Silverthorne allow the operation of medical
marijuana retail centers. Breckenridge has capped the number of
businesses allowed, and both Breck and Frisco charge an excise tax on
the sale of medical marijuana.

Marijuana supporters turned in 160,000 signatures last week in
support of a statewide ballot initiative that would amend the
Colorado Constitution to allow people over age 21 to posses up to 1
ounce of marijuana and to grow up to six plants in their homes.

The secretary of state's office has to determine that approximately
86,000 of the signatures submitted are valid for the legalization
question to appear on the ballot in November.

A second legalization proposal, which would not limit the amount of
recreational marijuana adults could posses was released Wednesday.
Proponents of the new initiative have not begun collecting signatures yet.

The Denver Post and the Associated Press contributed to the reporting
of this story.