Colorado Springs Marijuana Working Group considering ban on new licenses
The “no vacancy” sign could soon be posted for future Colorado Springs dispensaries, other MJ businesses.
A proposal to deny any further cannabis-related business growth in Colorado Springs is being considered, by the city’s Special Marijuana Working Group, which cannabis proponents say is an attempt to shut down the industry in the city.
In their regular meeting today, the group, which includes Councilman Larry Bagley and Deputy Chief of Staff Bret Waters, is considering a ban on any new cannabis-related business and issuing no additional licenses. The group is also proposing that when a cannabis business folds, another similar business can’t purchase the license.
Cannabis supporters say the city is slowly moving toward reducing dispensaries and forbidding current businesses from moving to another location. While there is currently a moratorium on any new marijuana businesses in the city, the proposal takes it further — businesses are also not allowed to expand. If they close they can’t reopen, and there will be no opportunity for another similar business to take its place.
“Current shops will be allowed to exist, but they cannot move facilities or add new licenses to their businesses,” says said Cannabis Patient Rights Coalition founder Bridget Dandaraw-Seritt, who is also a member of the working group. “This will inevitably cause stagnation within the medical cannabis industry and extreme hardship to those local business owners. Even worse, let’s say a dispensary gets hit by a tornado. The business will not be allowed to move to a new location or rebuild their business if the damage would take longer than a year, if that is allowed. The idea is to limit, and even reduce the number of dispensaries within the city as a whole.”
According to a handout at today’s meeting, “Many grows are currently located in general business zones. By allowing these existing grows to move their licenses and operations into (M1 or M2 — industrial) zoning, the city would reduce the number of grows in the general business zones, that are non conforming. The issues with the grows in the general business zones would begin to go away immediately without any new licenses being created. This is a viable solution with or without a moratorium on new growth, since no new licenses would be created.”
“The city is saying they want everything but storefronts in M1 and M2 industrial zones, but most of that land resides in Economic Opportunity Zones or Urban Renewal Areas. The zoning on those areas is still being decided and may change, leaving cannabis businesses scrambling,” Dandaraw-Seritt said.
The proposal would include all retail stores, infused product manufacturers and grows.
“The Cannabis Patient Rights Coalition is very disappointed that the city is not only attacking patient home grows, but is working to reduce the number of medical dispensaries within Colorado Springs,” said Dandaraw-Seritt. “This will not only drive up the cost of treatment, but will limit availability of a patient’s medicine. The bans that are being considered would not affect large dispensaries with grows outside the city, as they would be allowed to expand, leading to quasi-monopolies. Patients would lose access to their medicine, and some will die as a result of Colorado Springs’ actions.”
Councilmember Bagley was unavailable for comment.
The group will present its findings at a formal city council meeting on Sept. 26.
