Medical Cannabis Policy Group
Medical Cannabis Business
Report Released
Encouraging the Economic Development
of Medical Cannabis Businesses in Colorado
A Report by the Cannabis Therapy Institute
For immediate release: Oct. 6, 2009
[Boulder, CO] -- The Cannabis Therapy Institute has released a
report titled, "Encouraging
the Economic Development of Medical Cannabis Businesses in Colorado."
The report was written for policymakers that are considering regulations
regarding medical cannabis businesses in their areas. The report
includes a draft ordinance that communities can use as a framework
for developing their own regulations and policies. The Institute
released its report on Oct. 6 to the city councils of Durango, Lafayette,
Longmont, Louisville and Thornton, who will all discussed regulating
medical cannabis businesses at their city council meetings that
day.
The report was written by the Medical Cannabis Policy Group of
the Cannabis Therapy Institute with feedback from the medical cannabis
community. The goal of the report is to encourage policymakers to
adopt regulations that protect patients and to allow the communities
to take advantage of the significant economic boom being caused
by the medical cannabis industry.
The report contains a draft ordinance that defines three different
types of medical cannabis businesses and what activities they are
allowed to engage in. Recognizing that there are smaller caregivers
that do not need to be subject to additional regulations, it exempts
primary caregivers if they only serve the needs of 6 or fewer patients.
The draft ordinance gives limited guidelines into zoning and security
issues. It also discusses patient rights and the need for proper
police training.
"I'm proud of the Cannabis Therapy Institute's efforts to
educate and inform our local and state governments about the legal
medical cannabis business," says Jeff Gard, a Boulder attorney
who advised the group. "I hope that the draft guidelines will
help create a safe and welcome environment for patients and their
caregivers."
"Members of our group have been working on medical cannabis
in Colorado since 1992. We felt it was important to share our experience
to help policymakers clarify the issues surrounding medical cannabis
businesses, since this is such a new issue to them," says Laura
Kriho, public relations coordinator of the Cannabis Therapy Institute.
"We are encouraging local cannabis advocates and businesses
to build off these guidelines to form sensible regulations for their
communities through city council or the ballot initiative process."
Dan Rogers, of the High Valley Healing Center in Crestone, is also
a member of the Policy Group. "The draft regulations are only
guidelines, so they can be changed to suit the needs of the different
communities. Ultimately, we would like to see something similar
adopted by the state legislature to bring clarity and consistency
to the law statewide," says Rogers."
"Lawmakers are charting in unknown territory and this document
will help achieve a consistent understanding of the Constitutional
rights of patients in Colorado," says Timothy Tipton, a Policy
Group member who works with Rocky Mountain Caregivers' Cooperative,
a medical cannabis collective of patients and caregivers.
The CTI report is a living document, and the Cannabis Therapy Institute
is actively pursuing feedback from cannabis businesses about the
draft ordinance and the report. Please send all comments and suggestions
to:
policygroup@cannabistherapyinstitute.com
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