Town enacts marijuana moratorium

Mt. Crested Butte ordinance effective immediately

Western Holistics approached the Mt. Crested Butte Town Council during its March 2 meeting, inquiring about the potential for opening a medical marijuana dispensary on the mountain. After hearing the presentation, the council moved to draft an ordinance placing a moratorium on dispensaries until the legislation was worked out at the state level.

Ordinance No. 1, Series 2010 establishes a temporary moratorium on the establishment or operation of any business that sells or trades in medical marijuana. It also establishes a penalty for violating the ordinance, which carries a fine of not more than $1,000 and/or imprisonment not to exceed 90 days. The ordinance was declared an “emergency” which enables the ordinance to take effect immediately upon publication, instead of in 45 days.
Town Manager Joe Fitzpatrick said, the council wants the moratorium in place “immediately, to help both the town and the business person” that might try to open a dispensary before the ordinance takes effect.
Citing the temporary moratorium, town attorney Rod Landewehr said, “Until we know what they [the state] are going to do, we don’t know exactly which way to go. If [the dispensaries] meet the requirements of the state, we may have additional requirements, or we could outright ban them from this town. They [the state] are leaving the door open for local control. If communities don’t want them, they don’t have to have them.”
The council approved the ordinance, and the town staff is directed to develop ordinances and make recommendations to the Town Council concerning the taxation, regulation, licensing, and location that may be appropriate for dispensing of medical marijuana.