August 1 Deadline Rush

[SGMeds]

If any of you were on top of the game... not at the MED over the weekend... you missed a crazy 4-5 hour wait at the greyhound track!!! lol, yes, the MED of the DOR has it's main office at a race track... ;-0


Here's the Westword:


Every Colorado dispensary and associated business had to apply for a state license by August 1 -- which means we finally have a total number of Colorado pot shops willing navigate the state's new rules and fees. The tally: 717 dispensaries, 271 marijuana-infused product manufacturers and 1,071 grow facilities -- in total earning the state $7.34 million in fees.


Considering there's roughly 105,000 medical marijuana patients in Colorado, that breaks down to about150 patients for every dispensary in the state.


When the dust settles, the number of dispensaries may actually be slightly higher, says Department of Revenue spokesperson Mark Couch, since there's roughly one-hundred mail-in applications that have yet to be processed. In total, the department received slightly more applications than it expected, since it figured about half of the 1,100 or so dispensaries officials had guessed had opened shop would actually go through with the application process.


The numbers also shed light on the size of most Colorado dispensaries. All but 35 of the 717 dispensaries applied for a "Type 1" medical marijuana center license, meaning they serve 300 or fewer patients. Only fifteen applied for a Type 2 license, meaning they work with 301 to 500 patients, and twenty applied for Type 3, reserved for behemoths with 501 or more customers.
What's interesting is that there are more grow-facility license applications than the total number of dispensary and product-manufacturer applications, even though only dispensary owners or product manufacturers can own a grow facility. That's because several business owners appeared to own more than one grow facility, says Couch. "It protects them," he says. "If they have blight on a grow at one facility, they will still have another source for their crops."


Still, other questions remain, such as: How many businesses will make it through the application process and actually be granted the all-important state license.

 

[Tripsick]

Well i hope all 1100 are approved.
and i hope Cali does legalize it this year come November.. The more legal it is the faster this wall will come down.
What happens when there is 20+ medical Marijuana states at want point do the feds agree that it has medicinal value?

Isn't Colorado going to reschedule Cannabis to Schedule II? once that happens every doctor on in Colorado would write a script just like the do for Benzos and Opiates.

I know it needs to happen on a federal level but you have to work with what you got.

 

[Paco]

What the f$*k are these people doing? This new law is such a sham.
What is the overall scope of this new application process?
Is this deadline for this year only?
Will there be a state wide moratorium on any new facility or dispensary?

 

[cobcoop]

My basement is nice and cozy... That's where I'll be staying, only coming out for tacos and beer. Or tacos and no beer depending :/

Trip drugs are scheduled at the federal level, the bill references some half-assed, vague "request" to the DEA to reschedule cannabis. Too bad Congress is the body that schedules drugs...

I see two scenarios. They come down hard and start busting people, or we legalize it and the corporate machine rips it out of our hands, as they have already begun to do. Most of the fun has been dredged out of the cannabis sub-culture by profiteers IMO, and neither scenario seems particularly appealing.

 

[Paco]

Here! here! Har Har!^^

 

[Greenmopho]

I see two scenarios. They come down hard and start busting people, or we legalize it and the corporate machine rips it out of our hands, as they have already begun to do. Most of the fun has been dredged out of the cannabis sub-culture by profiteers IMO, and neither scenario seems particularly appealing.

Watching "Beer Wars"...this is where I see our business going. There will be space for most connoisseur producers on the small level, but the big boys will pushing you out as far as distribution. The 501+ patient dispensaries will be pushing for that 90% market share...America, Fuck Yea!

 

[Tr33]

The CO MMJ laws were written originally for Patient to Patient Caregiver to Patient, never for dispensaries, they(dispensaries and schwag dealers) destroyed the whole MMJ scene here in CO. It was perfect for 7yrs and now since last summer when this blew up with Obama's lies starting this whole mess...well look where we are now - fuct.

 

[mule420]

The dough my bro shelled out Holy shit!

 

[SGMeds]

The CO MMJ laws were written originally for Patient to Patient Caregiver to Patient, never for dispensaries, they(dispensaries and schwag dealers) destroyed the whole MMJ scene here in CO. It was perfect for 7yrs and now since last summer when this blew up with Obama's lies starting this whole mess...well look where we are now - fuct.

I have hope... it is in the Constitution... and needs to be challenged... 1284 that is. Open patient-patient & cg-patient distribution is the only real protection from the mass-produced, monetized crops. A CG can make a decent living... support a family... a patient can supplement their living... and a higher grade, boutique level market can form/be maintained.


On the flip side... I sold out, just to say. And from what the people around me have been saying... legalization & corporate monopolization IS the game plan. They speak rather passionately, so it really is a little sobering & scary.

 

[cobcoop]

I have hope... it is in the Constitution... and needs to be challenged... 1284 that is. Open patient-patient & cg-patient distribution is the only real protection from the mass-produced, monetized crops. A CG can make a decent living... support a family... a patient can supplement their living... and a higher grade, boutique level market can form/be maintained.


On the flip side... I sold out, just to say. And from what the people around me have been saying... legalization & corporate monopolization IS the game plan. They speak rather passionately, so it really is a little sobering & scary.

SGMeds, a true coop would be ideal akin to what the folks at good karma are doing, in fact that is THE best model I have seen for both patients and growers. Don't see it happening here honestly, they have the taste of blood ($) and they won't give it up.

GMP- Great flick Paco turned me onto it. The parallels are uncanny.

 

[Bud Spleefman]

You can watch Beer Wars instantly on your computer if you have a decent Internet connection and a Netfix account, as an FYI!

 

[Dorje113]

I have hope... it is in the Constitution... and needs to be challenged... 1284 that is. Open patient-patient & cg-patient distribution is the only real protection from the mass-produced, monetized crops. A CG can make a decent living... support a family... a patient can supplement their living... and a higher grade, boutique level market can form/be maintained.


On the flip side... I sold out, just to say. And from what the people around me have been saying... legalization & corporate monopolization IS the game plan. They speak rather passionately, so it really is a little sobering & scary.

Selling out is growing commercial weed and not caring that it sucks.

From what I've seen I doubt you'll sell out.

There will be dispensaries with shelves stocked with all grade A+++++ meds. I'm absolutely sure of it. But how many will be able to remains to be seen, from what I know right now it's not going so well, just in general...

 

[Tripsick]

I'll have to check it out... no netflix account but i'm sure ill find it someplace.
I assume the Marijuana industry will go the way of the microbrewery's once its legalized

may as well watch up on it.

 

[copobo]

....how many will be able to remains to be seen, from what I know right now it's not going so well, just in general...

that's what I'm seeing too. people are gonna FINALLY get mad when it really sucks at their fav dispensary in a month with 70:30.

when the average joe's life is effected (where's the fire? holy crap - $80 eighths!?) - that's when the shit is going to hit the fan!

plant your six!!!

 

[mr. bojangles]

I have a feeling that cannabis is gonna be a little different than beer in regards to quality vs quantity. If you look at whats going on today, Craft beer is really just starting to gain traction. I've preferred craft beers for some time, but people i know are really just starting to venture out from the Bud Light legion. Yet they still are spending their money with A-B cause their not educated enough to know who brews what. Not their fault really, but yet they still think of themselves as a " beer connoisseur".

Now with herb, due, i think in part, to the medical movement, many more people know the difference between medical grade, and average commercial bud.
So in turn the small batch high quality cannabis producer has a much better chance of establishing a customer base, than a craft brewer. It's really just a matter of " Dude, check out this bag I got from so and so. Dude, you gotta hook me up with that connect". Once legal, then it's just a matter of going to a different gas station, so to speak.

We've already done the ground work on how to make this happen, we just need to wait on the powers that be to get their head out of their ass and open up this market to a ready and willing society. They can regulate to hell and back, and we will conduct business as usual. Eventually, through activism and legislative battle, we will have a legitimate market controlled how we see fit. I mean we all have or are breaking the law when it doesn't suit us. And we will continue to do so, until the law is made right. Weather it's in our lifetime or not, who knows, but it will happen, just keep fighting for what is right in everything you do.

The CDHPE and DOR are only getting a taste of whats to come right now, there will be many battles in this war, but we will win. It's inevitable. 70 years and we still get stoned, so it ain't gonna stop just because someone wants it to. Laws only stay on the books because they are righteous, not because someone paid for them to be there. It unfortunately takes a long time to over power money, but it will happen.

Until then, I'll keep doin my thang, and watchin the sheep stroll by.

Edit: Saw Beer Wars in the theater, I am a big fan of Sam Calagione, a fine example of the little guy vs big industry.

 

[Dorje113]

that's what I'm seeing too. people are gonna FINALLY get mad when it really sucks at their fav dispensary in a month with 70:30.

when the average joe's life is effected (where's the fire? holy crap - $80 eighths!?) - that's when the shit is going to hit the fan!

plant your six!!!

If people are smart they will realize that it is the state that is decreasing the quality of mmj and making it more expensive. It will get better as mmc's get grows set up and dialed in. The law was signed June 7th or so and 2 months and 3 weeks later mmc's are expected to be able to provide 70% of their own mmj. That is unreasonable and will cause a temporary disruption in supply, raising prices and allowing questionable quality mmj into the market.

Our legislators could have made the transition to the new law reasonable, which wouldn't have hurt patients and legal business owners, but they did not because their intent is to fuck us. Thanks a lot you douchebag politicians.

 

[cobcoop]

Copied from Tony's post:

OAKLAND'S PLANS FOR MEGA-MEDICAL MARIJUANA GROWING GETS ATTENTION OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

OAKLAND -- The nation's top narcotics watchdog, the Drug Enforcement Administration, has requested information about Oakland's ordinance permitting large-scale medical pot growing facilities.

DEA spokesman Rusty Payne said agents wanted to know if the ordinance on the city website was a draft or a final version.

He would not specify why the agency wanted the information, but the inquiry raised speculation that the new plans have put Oakland in the agency's cross hairs.

Payne downplayed the speculation but said, "Anytime there is large-scale marijuana cultivation, it is something that would interest us."

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan said the DEA has sought information but offered no feedback. She co-sponsored the ordinance with Councilmember Larry Reid.

Agents requested copies of the ordinance from Kaplan's office.

They then called for details and a timeline for the plan from Oakland administrator Arturo Sanchez, who will oversee the permitting process once the application process begins after September.

Kaplan said the DEA told her that the agency is collecting information from other cities that allow medical marijuana in an attempt to review the patchwork of laws in the absence of federal guidelines.

Marijuana is illegal under federal law.

But a 2009 memo by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder signaled that going after medical marijuana users and growers is a low priority as long as the local industry conforms to state medical cannabis measures.

There is some question about whether Oakland's industrial-level cultivation violates California law and what it will mean for the city if California voters approve a statewide measure to make marijuana legal in all its uses.

Payne said the DEA is investigating Colorado dispensaries that are in violation of the state's medical marijuana laws and have tried to use them as a shield for illegal operations.