Amendment 64: Should retail marijuana shops be limited to Colorado residents?
Mark Couch, a spokesman with the state's Department of Revenue who is now acting as a spokesman for the task force, says that the regulatory group briefly discussed residency requirements relating to both customers of the shops as well as those who will be operating them.
"They raised it as a question," he says. "It's something they want to discuss."
Sam Levin Inside the first task force meeting last month.
Pabon explains that his group is looking at the regulatory frameworks that exist for medical marijuana, gaming and liquor as potential models for setting up recreational marijuana.
One of the other major debates that emerged, he says, is around vertical integration -- whether these establishments should be allowed to both manufacture and sell their product. It's a complicated question, he says, because in the alcohol industry, vertical integration is not allowed -- i.e. Coors has a factory, but can't have a Coors liquor store -- and in the medical marijuana industry, this kind of integration is essentially required.
"This is the time to overview our other industries and what works and what doesn't," he says.
Many in his group, like him, are still working through these issues, he says. "I don't know if anyone came in with their minds made up."
Concerns around the contradictions of federal and state law are a part of the discussion at the regulatory group, he says. Specifics on federal enforcement, he says, "would certainly be a factor in whether or not we would adopt or fully consider a residency requirement."
In general, he says, there's a lot to be debated in a short amount of time -- but it's an important step for the state.
"It's exciting," he says. "This is a new frontier in Colorado. Hhaving the ability to set a foundation that protects the public safety and our children, but at the same time fulfills the intent of the voters, is something you don't get to do very often."
More from our Marijuana archive: "Marijuana bust: Ohio students headed to Aspen arrested for possession"
Follow Sam Levin on Twitter at @SamTLevin. E-mail the author at Sam.Levin@Westword.com.
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