Sensible Colorado to File Statewide Ballot Initiative to Regulate Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

• By Cali Shaye
• Marijuana Dispensaries
• 15 years ago
• 2

Brian Vicente, executive director of Sensible Colorado Action, the state’s leading medical marijuana advocacy organization, have filed a statewide ballot initiative to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries and production facilities. In the face of threats by state officials to restrict and destroy dispensaries, this initiative will amend the Colorado Constitution to require the state legislature to establish comprehensive regulations governing this emerging health care industry. The campaign will need to file over 75000 signatures by July in order to qualify for the November 2010 ballot. “State-licensed medical marijuana patients need storefront dispensaries in the same way that other sick Coloradans need pharmacies,” said Sensible Colorado’s Brian Vicente, the initiative’s chief proponent. “Medical marijuana patients will not go without medicine in Colorado. This initiative will establish sensible regulations for dispensaries and secure the rights of sick Coloradans to have safe access to their constitutionally-protected medicine.” The initiated language directs the General Assembly to establish a uniform licensing system for both medical marijuana dispensing facilities and medical marijuana production facilities. It calls for licensing fees and security requirements and authorizes considerable local control over issues such as location and signage. “With certain members of the legislature and law enforcement contemplating actions that would cause serious harm to …