Medical Marijuana Dispensaries owners in Fort Collins are evaluating their next steps after voters this week banned their businesses from operating within city limits. After the final election results are certified they鈥檒l have 90 days to close their storefronts. And some are hoping to stay open, albeit with a slightly different focus.
Right now there are a lot of questions, and not many answers. Since the ban passed, Dave Watson, owner of Kind Care of Colorado, says his clients have been asking him what鈥檚 next.
鈥淸It鈥檚] business as usual,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to keep pushing until the end and find the best alternative for the patients.鈥�
Like other dispensary owners in Fort Collins, Watson says he鈥檚 considering a transition to focus more on caregiver services. And he鈥檚 hoping to stay in his current location.
鈥淲e have large group of patient files. Everyone will get information about what鈥檚 happening next. We鈥檙e not going to be leaving anyone out on the streets,鈥� he says.
The ban, which appeared as Question 300 on the ballot, puts the city in line with other Northern Colorado locations like Windsor, Longmont and Loveland. State lawmakers gave cities and counties the ability to decide whether or not they want to allow medical marijuana dispensaries and growing facilities last year.
Opponents narrowly lost their fight despite support from the state鈥檚 largest union, Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 7. On election night, proponent and former mayor Ray Martinez said he thought there were a couple arguments that resonated with voters.
鈥淓veryone realizes that this is against the law and the state can鈥檛 supersede the feds,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he second thing is this does not affect people using medicinal marijuana, who are in bad shape and need it for health.鈥�
Throughout the debate, both sides discussed what the impact of the ban would be on patients. Interim Police chief Jerry Schiager says it鈥檚 true that they鈥檒l continue to have access to medical marijuana in Fort Collins, and by law can cultivate up to 12 plants鈥�6 mature and 6 immature鈥攊n residential areas.
Schiager says one of the main questions right now is how the city would regulate dispensaries that choose to transition into more of a caregiver role鈥攊f that鈥檚 even legal. He says police are currently looking into the details.
鈥淚n my mind, that鈥檚 the biggest public safety issue is people growing large numbers of plants and have these businesses running in residential areas,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had problems in the past--some violent robberies in neighborhoods--that we didn鈥檛 have any idea activity was going on in.鈥�
The city kept this in check when it licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in the past by applying zoning restrictions. For dispensary owners like Dave Watson, Fort Collins police don鈥檛 know right now whether he could continue to operate in the same location as a caregiver. Watson says he鈥檒l be meeting with his attorney in the coming days to sketch out a full picture of his options.
鈥淚 think I鈥檓 set up ok. Hopefully we鈥檙e going to move right into our new model and not miss a beat,鈥� he says.
The clock starts ticking for both sides once the city certifies election results next week.
