Colorado Looks to Exercise Control over Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Join Together and the Denver Post reported that legislators in Colorado are proposing a wide range of new regulations over medical marijuana dispensaries. Colorado has over 11,000 medical marijuana patients supplied by some 100+ dispensaries.

The proposed regulation changes include:

•  Limiting a dispensaries number of patients

•  Limit total number of dispensaries

•  Limit areas where dispensaries could operate

•  Require dispensaries to have a registered pharmacist on staff

•  Close private dispensaries and manage distribution by state owned entities 

•  Force marijuana clinics to provide additional medical services to maintain their licensure

•  Impose additional screening requirements for younger patients

•  Require patients 25 and younger to submit medical records to a state review board

Regardless of the legislation actually implemented into law, it is clear that Colorado lawmakers see fault in the current system and are working diligently to correct those issues. In November 2000, the 20th Amendment to the Colorado constitution created the Medical Marijuana Registry. On June 1st, 2001, Colorado began accepting and processing applications for Registry Identification Cards. Currently, the registry receives about 500 applications per month.

Sources:

Fender, Jessica. Colorado lawmakers ready bills to curb permissive medical-pot rules. The Denver Post online. www.denverpost.com accessed 11/11/2009.

Join Together News Summary (National Center on Addiction and Substance abuse at Columbia University) www.jointogether.org accessed 11/11/2009.

The Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hs/medicalmarijuana/. Accessed 11/11/2009.