Legal Commentary

Heads-Up: Medical Marijuana Issues on Local Colorado Ballots

By Jeralyn

Thanks to Marijuana Policy Project for publishing this list of marijuana initiatives on local Colorado ballots this year.

The following jurisdictions will ask their citizens if medical marijuana dispensaries should be ALLOWED – Vote“Yes” on dispensary measures in the following jurisdictions.

• Antonito
• DeBeque
• Dinosaur
• Hot Sulphur Springs
• Lake City
• Loveland
• Ouray
• Paonia (two questions)
• Ramah
• Conejos County
• Eagle County

The following jurisdictions (some municipal, some county)will ask their citizens if medical marijuana dispensaries should be PROHIBITED – Vote “No” on dispensary measures in the following jurisdictions. [More...]

• Akron
• Aurora
• Broomfield
• Castle Pines North
• Elizabeth
• Federal Heights
• Fountain Fraser
• Granby
• Hillrose
• Jamestown
• LaJunta
• Lone Tree
• Minturn
• Olathe
• Otis
• Sugar City
• Windsor
• Alamosa Cty.
• Custer Cty.
• Douglas Cty.
• El Paso Cty.
• Garfield Cty. (three questions) Grand Cty.
• Mesa Cty.
• Moffat Cty.
• Montrose Cty.
• Otero Cty.
• Park Cty.
• Washington Cty.

Ballots in some local jurisdictions will ask if medical marijuana products, paraphernalia, and medical marijuana-infused products should be taxed. The proposed tax rates range from 2% to 5%. They include: Paonia; Fraser; Granby; Hot Sulphur Springs; Park Cty; Pueblo

In 2000, Colorado voters approved Amendment 20, known as the Medical Use of Marijuana Act. It is a constitutional amendment(not merely a statute) allowing medical marijuana. The vote was:

• Yes: 915,527 (53.8%)Approved
• No: 786,983 (46.2%)

It's disconcerting that 10 years later, some are still trying to get around the will of the voters and prevent Amendment 20 from taking full effect.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 20, 2010 (boomark / email).