City Council Votes Yes On New Marijuana Industry Caps In Test Vote

There was a big vote in Denver tonight.
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The Denver City Council took a ‘test vote’ on proposed marijuana industry caps. The Denver City Council voted 8-3 to pass the proposal. There will be a final vote a week from today. The proposal was an amended version, which was first introduced by Denver City Council member Robin Kniech. The first vote failed to pass with a 6-6 vote. The Denver City Council definitely appeared to like the changes. An 8-3 vote would definitely make it seem that a passage of the proposal is inevitable. Below are details of the proposal, via The Denver Post:

With 11 of 13 members attending Monday, the council also amended the bill, on Rafael Espinoza’s motion, to require that applicants for marijuana licenses submit “good neighbor” plans that specify how they will reach out to nearby neighborhood groups, residents and businesses; positively impact the community, and address any concerns that arise after the business opens.

The new caps would freeze the number of locations of marijuana shops and eventually reduce the number of grow houses by 15. They would replace a temporary city moratorium that has barred new entrants to the medical and recreational markets. That moratorium expires May 1.

The measure also would make permanent the moratorium’s prohibition on new medical marijuana dispensaries and grows in the city.

Denver City Council members Albus Brooks, Paul Lopez and Wayne New voted against the proposal. Chris Herndon and Debbie Ortega were absent. I personally believe that cannabis businesses should be allowed to operate freely, provided they are good community members. A crappy business, no matter the type, shouldn’t be allowed to operate. But upstanding businesses (which most cannabis businesses are) should be allowed to operate on an even playing field, like virtually every other industry.