Colorado Town Annexes Unincorporated Land to Block Dispensary from Operating

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Last week we told you about Granby, Colorado and their attempt to block a recreational pot shop from opening by gerrymandering their city limits to extend their marijuana ban.
That vote has now taken place, with members approving the “emergency” annexation. But according to the attorney representing the shop, the officials skirted questions about whether their actions were legal, choosing to demonize marijuana instead.


As we’ve reported, MMK Limited, which does business as Grand Life Solutions, leased land in unincorporated Grand County and wants to place a cannabis store and grow there. But while the land is technically part of Grand County, which allows recreational marijuana sales, it’s located in an enclave surrounded by the Town of Granby, which has a rec-sales ban in place — and Granby officials had threatened to annex the lot leased by MMK to prevent the business from opening.
Attorney Robert Hoban, who represents MMK, filed a motion for injunctive relief based on this plan. A hearing over the matter was supposed to take place last Friday, but it was postponed to allow the Board of Trustees to address the situation on Tuesday evening. Hoban, corresponding by e-mail, admits to being far from satisfied by the results.
At the meeting, Hoban maintains that the trustees “did not really address the issue of the legality (or likely illegality) of the annexation plan. Instead, it was a plainly scripted event consisting of numerous residents standing out against marijuana in general (protect the children, not in our community, etc.). To that end, the Mayor also read forty e-mails from people she seemed to know well, which all indicated opposition to marijuana generally and in favor of the annexation accordingly. There was no discussion at all about the governmental abuse of power here, even from the seemingly conservative sorts who testified and who would ordinarily loudly oppose such abusive targeting governmental behavior, but for the subject matter.
More at the Denver Westword.

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