Colorado Legislative Joint Committee and Joint Problems

Legislative headaches are rampant in Colorado committee rooms. Since voters have legalized the use of recreational marijuana, officials are having a heck of a time agreeing upon a plan to structure regulations for recreational marijuana stores. Some are insisting on a vertically-integrated structure, according to the Post, meaning that stores would be required to grow the product sold. The immediate problem with that seemingly straightforward joint effort (pun intended), is that it goes “against the intent of the marijuana-legalization measure, Amendment 64, which doesn’t prescribe a system where growers are linked to retailers.”

What are legislators to do with their marijuana blues? An agreement needs to be come to, so a combination of both systems appears to be the direction things are leaning toward. This percentage idea would incorporate an integrated approach of a vertically-integrated system, and an ability to purchase supplementary product from outside stores (similarly to the medical marijuana system), 70/30 respectively.

Recreational marijuana stores in Colorado could open as early as 9 months from now. Republican Brian DelGrosso brings up another noteworthy concern among lawmakers and new businesses alike. In uncharted territory like regulating a never-before legalized system, the task force has been charged with suggesting the policies for lawmakers. Among the force’s recommendations, came a provisional one year window, in which only people who already owned and operated medical marijuana businesses could apply to be able to run now-legal recreational stores. To that effect, DelGrosso objected. He worries this could have a monopolization-like effect, giving already operating businesses seniority and a foothold over the new business, according to the Post.

Task force members inadvertently admitted the suggested policies possible loopholes due to the uncharted nature of their efforts. Senator Cheri Jahn, a force member, confirmed that some of the regulations are a work in progress and, “would be re-evaluated after a few years”. On shaky or not, the Committee only has until the end of the month to work with the task force’s recommendations and produce a bill, clarifying these and other issues.