The voters of Colorado approved marijuana for medical use over 10 years ago. However, it's only been recently that state and municipal governments have gotten around to crafting zoning, licensing and other standards and regulations pertaining to the growing industry. (no pun intended)
The City of Fountain has decided not to decide on multiple occasions and is now up against a bit of a deadline. According to state law, if a municipality does not have some kind of ordinance in place to recognize and permit medical marijuana dispensaries by July 1st of 2010, there can be no dispensaries opened in that municipality before a temporary moratorium expires on July 1st, 2011. Whether a city permits dispensaries or not, registered individuals and licensed growers may still grow and use marijuana for medical purposes.
Last night the seven council members eventually agreed to a first draft of an ordinance that would technically make dispensaries permissible within the City of Fountain. But the zoning is so restrictive, it's practically moot. Dispensaries would have to be at least 1,000 feet from any school, daycare, assisted living facility, place of worship or park, among other things. This leaves very few commercial sites eligible, never mind desirable for opening such an operation. There will be a second reading of the new ordinance on June 22, at the next council meeting. This would presumably leave prospective dispensary operators about a week to get an application for business license in before the July 1st deadline.
It's far more likely that dispensary operators who would like to serve the Fountain Valley market will choose to locate in the unincorporated areas of Security and Widefield, just north of Fountain. There are many good commercial sites available there and businesses would simply have to comply with the much less cumbersome state ordinance. The City of Fountain's long standing reputation as one of the least business friendly municipalities in Colorado shall remain intact.
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