DENVER – Legislation governing the unlawful advertising of marijuana is one step closer in Colorado.
Senate Bill 15, which requires anyone advertising the sale of marijuana products in Colorado to be licensed, cleared its second reading in the Senate and was unanimously approved.
If adopted, this bill will make the unlawful advertisement of marijuana sales a drug misdemeanor.
The primary sponsor of this bill, Sen. Irene Aguilar, D-Denver, said it is geared toward curbing advertising through social media platforms such as craigslist.
“We are trying to model for the nation how you responsibly implement legal marijuana, and unfortunately these efforts by people to sell drugs illegally on the internet undermine those efforts,” Aguilar said.
To highlight these efforts, Aguilar presented a document to the Senate showing that on Aug. 15, 2016, more than 600 ads for marijuana were posted to craigslist in the Denver area alone.
“It is a serious, serious problem,” said Sen. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs. “We’re talking about the fact that we have people advertising for the sale of marijuana that are not licensed to sell marijuana. That’s called drug dealing, frankly.”
S.B. 15 bill will have a final reading and vote by the Senate before being sent to the House of Representatives.
Another bill governing marijuana regulations went before a committee today, and it passed for a second reading before the House of Representatives.
House Bill 1034 looks to reform current regulations for licensure for medical marijuana businesses to be more consistent with the retail code.
In this case, H.B. 1034 gives medical dispensaries access to a Medical Marijuana Business Operator License, which allows them to move locations throughout the state as recreational dispensaries.
Under the current code, medicinal dispensaries can move only within the city, county or municipality in which they are licensed.
This bill seeks to streamline the two codes to so regulations can be consistent for both medicinal and recreational marijuana, Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, said
“House Bill 1034 is really what I would call a chew up or a clean up bill for the medical marijuana code,” Pabon said.
Licensees who moved their shops would have to ensure they meet all restrictions placed on relocation of dispensaries within the new jurisdiction, and licensees could not exceed any local regulation on the total number of dispensaries allowed, he said.
lperkins@durangoherald.com
