Colorado House Bill 1284

[P. Dondrub]

If you guys don't know, Sensible Colorado has a lobbiest who has worked with Matt Brown and CMMR through out this process. This is Vicente's bill as much as it is Matt Brown's.

Ouch! I had mistaken him for one of the good guys....

 

[cobcoop]

Warren- Do you feel the caregiver limits would stand up if challenged in court?

 

[Mile Hi Dave]

Vicente is a lil more for allowing growers, but Warren hit the nail on the head...he is in Matt Brown's camp. Brian has tried to get things for growers but would be happy with the Bill the way it is...as long as dispensaries, or "Medical Marijuana Centers", are in...that group is happy. I know I was at a meeting where Brian addressed growers and how he would hope that there was room for us. Matt Brown's response was more like, "Oh well...we'll be able to grow our own, we won't really need you"...since then, I have not attended one of their meetings...since they have no intent to help us...

 

[Mile Hi Dave]

I think the limits would hold up, simply becuase the law requires anyone taking care of 6 or more to register as a business, so they left you a way to take care of more...you just have to pay for all the licensing, get the security up to their liking, and all of the other things a "Center" would be required to do. That's just my opinion, would luv ta see Warren's!

Since there is a way for you to do it, I don't think there really is any type of challenge you could make....

 

[warrenedson]

Not sure about the 5 patient limit. Constitutionally, I think A20 clearly allows the person who is the "caregiver" to take care of more than 5. Side issue would be if the Court held that the "original" definition of caregiver did not allow sales. Ie. allow you to have more but say no one ever gave you the permission to sell it. A problem that keeps croping up in California.

 

[ClearBarbedFunk]

From what I have learned, most dispensary owners aren't growers. They are businessmen. To say that dispensary owners have to grow 70% of the product, and that they can grow SO MUCH that they can WHOLESALE to other DISPENSARY OWNERS creates a warehouse monopoly for the dispensary owners. I would vomit all over the state of CO if I knew that it were dispensary owners who were responsible for 70% of what's on the shelves of dispensaries.

appears thats how its goin to go down bro. when all this started i knew it was gonna be about the money changers, guys with big cash are investin all over CO, the MMj centers are gonna be the only distributors in the state in the end.

i think patients will still get to grow there own, and service a few patients, but for those that depend on the cash from there OP, and large patient count, those days are goin to be over.

if ya want to be in the scene, make a livin off it, your gonna have to cozy up to a center. much as i dislike the MJ center model, i dont see any other way.

i toured a 22,000 sq ft Bldg this past week, 16k flower room, 16k veg room, 20k flouro veg/clone room.

there still constructin another 16k room. all the bells and whistles, brand new equipment. local sheriff comes monday for a tour and plant count.

how many of us have said how wonderful it would be to grow that big with no stress or worries of prison time?

CBF

 

[Mile Hi Dave]

I think the only thing we can do to get the dispensarys' attn, is for us to stop selling them our product for a couple weeks. This will give the smaller places a chance to see what it will be like w/o us. This needs to be done soon... They need to realize that if they are stuck buying from their competition...it cannot be good for them. Our problem is that there are too many growers that need the $$ and cannot afford to boycott selling to the dispensaries. W eneed to wake the smaller shops up, so they realize how they will be outta biz.....

 

[Rednick]

I still like finding grammatical errors in the work of our benevolent fathers.
13 (X) A PERSON WHO EMPLOYEES ANOTHER PERSON AT A MEDICAL
14 MARIJUANA FACILITY WHO HAS NOT PASSED A CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD
15 CHECK;

I believe it is written 'employs', but fuck what do I know, I don't write laws!

 

[Mile Hi Dave]

I still like finding grammatical errors in the work of our benevolent fathers.
13 (X) A PERSON WHO EMPLOYEES ANOTHER PERSON AT A MEDICAL
14 MARIJUANA FACILITY WHO HAS NOT PASSED A CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD
15 CHECK;

I believe it is written 'employs', but fuck what do I know, I don't write laws!

nice catch!!

 

[MrDank]

THe more I learn about this bill, the more I am sick. This bill creates a monopoly for dispensary owners...it puts all of the power in the hands of dispensary owners. If dispensary's are responsible for 100%...yes 100fucking% of what's on the shelves, it is going to take a turn for the worse.

I hope patients enjoy smoking pesticides, mildew, fungicides, and paying $65/eighth to do so

There are so many skilled growers out here that are going to have to go back underground. We did it for YEARS before....so why not go back to what we know? If the state doesn't want our tax $$$, then I don't know what to say other than the fact they are dumb as FUCK and they are putting all of the power in the hands of dispensary owners. So many growers surfaced this past year, got their grows under code, got their #'s straight, formed an LLC, and gladly started paying taxes to the state and the Feds. We aren't criminals, we are warriors in this industry who set the path.

It also states that anybody with a felony can't work at a dispensary. THAt is disgusting. These people are the ones who paved the path for many dispensaries. People who are that passionate about our MEDICINE may have had some trouble in their past from fighting for what they believe in. i would understand a felony for just about anything, but to restrict a felon for MARIJUANA related offences is HORRIBLE.

How do these assholes sleep at night?

Now we are going to be forced to go back underground

I am extremely bitter about this bill

 

[Moonshine*]

Im a dispensary owner.....

I dont like the bill.....

It benefits me in no way as a small business owner, this bill plays up to the big time players and corporate giants......

Mr D has valid points but I think demonizing all dispensary owners is wrong.....

Instead of pissing and moaning on ICmag, contact your local rep's, go to a few city council meetings, meet the local cops and show them your not a criminal.....Convince them that this bill is not beneficial to the patients at all......thats honestly what you all should be griping about, this bill pisses all over patients rights.....Its our duty to be as professional and compassionate as we can be and the only way you can change someone who is against your standpoint is through intelligent dialog and factual information.......Take a shower, put on some nice clothes and fix your hair before you make this attempt....

Currently I can provide my dispensary with over 80% of the meds we need, with 60% of that from a legal, set up to code, commercial grow......I can switch that to 100% in less than a month.......Do I wont that? hell no, Id rather have 5 houses in the mountains with grows, less chance if something goes wrong of losing everything......Not all dispensary owners are trying to rule the world most of the respectable owners I know are trying to make legally what they made illegally and noting more.......There are more unscrupulous owners out there but there are a few really god places around the state.....

If my vendors stopped providing me with meds it would do absolutely nothing except make my profit margin go up and make me put a limit on purchase amounts (which hurts the patients not the owners).......I honestly dont think that course of action (stop selling to dispensaries)would do anything, unless you held genetics no one else had.....maybe a year ago it would have garnered respect, but commercial vendors are a dime a dozen......I turn 10-15 vendors away at my door and answer another 6-10 phone calls from people with "top shelf product".......Its never top shelf and it always ends up in another local shop, never in my shop......

If you want to change something, contact the reps and governor and make your voice herd...... Complaining here about business that directly will be the reason for changing marijuana laws in this country is dumb........

United we stand, divided we fall.......any of you ever hear that old saying?

 

[Mile Hi Dave]

It also states that anybody with a felony can't work at a dispensary. THAt is disgusting. These people are the ones who paved the path for many dispensaries. People who are that passionate about our MEDICINE may have had some trouble in their past from fighting for what they believe in. i would understand a felony for just about anything, but to restrict a felon for MARIJUANA related offences is HORRIBLE.

How do these assholes sleep at night?

Now we are going to be forced to go back underground

I am extremely bitter about this bill

Mr. Dank, as long as the sentence was completed 5 years prior to the application for a license you are ok...

However, you are right, growers will either have to become partners in a dispensary or go underground. I too, have done everything to become "legal" only to be slapped in the face by the very dispensarys that purchase my product. Now, I will deal only with the small, LOCALLY RUN, dispensarys. The same ones that will be forced outta business, if this bill passes as written. I will not give the "immigrant" dispensary owners another crumb!!!

 

[Moonshine*]

It also states that anybody with a felony can't work at a dispensary. THAt is disgusting. These people are the ones who paved the path for many dispensaries. People who are that passionate about our MEDICINE may have had some trouble in their past from fighting for what they believe in. i would understand a felony for just about anything, but to restrict a felon for MARIJUANA related offences is HORRIBLE.
l

Every time the local gov brings this up I say just about the same thing.....

Like many things in life I believe a compromise needs to be taken on this part of the bill....

IMO they should look at every case on an individual basis.....anyone charged with cultivation of less than 500 plants or less than 100lbs SHOULD be allowed to own/operate an cannabis based business.....

Felons with 500 plants / 100lbs or more; shouldnt be allowed to have anything to do with MMJ business.....

I honestly doubt anyone bringing a truckload of herb from Mexico or Cali gives a rats ass about our Colorado patients......Or pumping out a huge warehouse of moldy, bugged out beaster has the compassion the public wants to see running these things.....If these people have been charged, keep em out.....Id prefer not to have their crappy herb on the market anyhow.....keep that crap on the black market...

 

[funkfingers]

There are so many skilled growers out here that are going to have to go back underground. We did it for YEARS before....so why not go back to what we know? If the state doesn't want our tax $$$, then I don't know what to say other than the fact they are dumb as FUCK and they are putting all of the power in the hands of dispensary owners. So many growers surfaced this past year, got their grows under code, got their #'s straight, formed an LLC, and gladly started paying taxes to the state and the Feds. We aren't criminals, we are warriors in this industry who set the path.

It also states that anybody with a felony can't work at a dispensary. THAt is disgusting. These people are the ones who paved the path for many dispensaries. People who are that passionate about our MEDICINE may have had some trouble in their past from fighting for what they believe in. i would understand a felony for just about anything, but to restrict a felon for MARIJUANA related offences is HORRIBLE.

How do these assholes sleep at night?

Now we are going to be forced to go back underground

I am extremely bitter about this bill

I'm with you 100% mr Dank I mean where do these people think all this mmj comes from? I think I maybe know 3-4 people who haven't at least copped a charge of some kind for herb, and most of the people I know that have any idea what their doing have taken a marijuana felony at sometime or another.

 

[Godless]

It seems to me that these rules are going to make medical cannabis very vulnerable come the next authoritarian republican in the white house. They are setting up a situation where the only players will have >100 plants. After all the inspections, etc it will be trivial for the DEA to shut them down.

The Colorado people need to be educated about this extremely impactful economic change. It seems to me that the average non-MMJ Co taxpayer would benefit a hell of a lot more from regulation that PROMOTES a lot of <100 plant growers.

Unique benefits of a regulatory model that FORBIDS >100 plant grow ops and that PROMOTES <100 plant small business ops:

1. Massive real estate bump. An easy to get into program of small grow businesses would draw people from all over the country/world to come to CO and buy a piece of property where they can run their business safely.
2. A massive and wide-spread economic bump from having a lot of small time players who will be making real income. Big shops consolidate the money into a small number of hands. Colorado needs a lot of little people making a good living a hell of a lot more than a couple more douchebag billionaires. Small players are MUCH more likely to keep their money in the local economy.
3. This would lead to better product for patients as competition at the vendor level will be fierce.
4. This will establish a precedence for a legalization model far superior to the "RJ Reynolds" model of megacorps rule all.

Instead of focusing on these elements, it seems to me that the public is just focused on the "keep the druggies away from our children" dispensary regulations.

 

[Mile Hi Dave]

Hey Moonshine...I have one question for you...are you hooked up with Matt Brown? If so, you can't sit here and tell me that you aren't for the portion of the bill that forces the "vertical integration" model...because Matt Brown and his ilk are all ok with this!

Oh...and you are one of the few true "Colorado" local owners that have the ability to produce your own product...in truth, how many are there? This bill will force alot of the smaller shops outta business, which isn't right...well...unless they "integrate" with a grower!

 

[Moonshine*]

Hey Moonshine...I have one question for you...are you hooked up with Matt Brown? If so, you can't sit here and tell me that you aren't for the portion of the bill that forces the "vertical integration" model...because Matt Brown and his ilk are all ok with this!

Oh...and you are one of the few true "Colorado" local owners that have the ability to produce your own product...in truth, how many are there? This bill will force alot of the smaller shops outta business, which isn't right...well...unless they "integrate" with a grower!

Im not affiliated with any of the "big names" out there Matt Brown or any of the others trying to make a name for themselves at the patients expense......And I am as local as you get, both my kids were born here and Ive been in CO for 13 years......I know of 3 other places just like mine (small) who all produce almost everything they sell....Shop around you'll find a good one sooner or later....

Like I said I dont like the bill cause it hurts my biz and most important it hurts my patients......There are too many "Experts" out there who base their expierence on the fact they got busted and thats how they tout their expertise......there are plenty more of us who have never messed up and have tons more expierence and compassion than those who are running the show.......

I can see my shop being forced out; but not due to needing vendors or needing to grow my own......People who set up shops simply to pump out product from other sources should go out of business.....you cant control quality from outside sources, plain and simple and that is putting the patients health at risk......

I serve 15-20 patients a day thats it.......Small shop, higher quality product....less overhead...but more affected by any extra licensing and fees and regulations......

Some of the cities are talking about 10,000-15,000 dollar biz license for dispensaries......I only want to do about 225-275K in total sales, which means I put about 70K in the bank......10-15K isnt a drop in the bank to a small biz owner......

You obviously dont know me or my store or youd understand there are compassionate people in this industry who arent here just to rape you and sell you shite........Dont lump me in with MB, RC, WE or any of the other douchebags who are trying to fill their pockets.....

 

[Mile Hi Dave]

You control "quality" by not purchasing from those who grow shit! And I do know a cpl local small shops that grow most of their own product, and they could amp it up, if needed, but they don't want to. Also, another downside of not having vendors is less variety. How many strains can you possibly grow at one time? I am glad to meet you sir, anyone that is against the bill is a friend of mine...so many people forget that it's about the patients...yes, we can make ok money while doing something good.

One thing is for sure, there are alot of folks out there pushing crap. Me, I try to keep it as simple and as clean as I can. I make sure I harvest at the best time, I trim my buds by hand, I cure for at least 2 weeks before I give anything to my patients...and my patients come before I sell anything to a dispensary.

Quite honestly, my best friend owns a dispensary and I know what you mean about the many vendors that come in, on a daily basis, with garbage. I have noticed alot of places are either keiffing their buds, or they are buying keiffed buds. Again, the patient gets screwed...sorry about rambling folks....

 

[Moonshine*]

You control "quality" by not purchasing from those who grow shit!
....

Thats my main method of quality control......Ive even turned stuff away that my trusted vendors have brought in.....Its got to be top notch or nothing....Medical means Medical....

I have about 35 strains, mostly elite/clone only varieties and a bunch of Moonshineman crosses, my vendors cover another 15 things I dont have so it keeps it lively, the list is always changing as patients taste/tolerance changes.....I can cover everything from pure indicas to Amnesia Haze, Nevils and everything inbetween.....I stock 10-15 strains at any time...

when everything is grown properly and looks/smells better than most herb normal folks will ever see in their whole life; there is no need for 50 things on the shelf....

I

 

[Mile Hi Dave]

Now this I could live with:

Oregon, the first state to decriminalize marijuana in the modern era and one of the first to approve a medical marijuana law, could become a battleground for marijuana reform again this year. Two separate initiatives, one aimed at improving the state's existing medical marijuana program, and one that seeks to legalize and regulate marijuana and hemp, are campaigning to be certified for the November ballot.

The medical marijuana initiative, I-28, would create a system of state-regulated dispensaries and state-licensed medical marijuana producers. Dispensaries would have to be Oregon nonprofits, and pay a $2,000 license fee and a 10% tax on gross sales. Licensed producers would have to pay a $1,000 license fee and the 10% tax. Patients registered under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program would be able to buy their supplies at any dispensary, and dispensaries would be able to buy from any licensed producer.

Read the whole article here: http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle...ijuana_hemp_legalization_medical_dispensaries