| Graphic: Out Front Colorado |
Medical marijuana dispensaries in Denver have only five days to apply for a city-required specific dispensary license.
Under Denver City Council Bill 34, the pot shops must have a city sales-tax license and also must apply for a specific dispensary license by March 1, reports Patricia Calhoun in Westword.
About 500 Denver dispensaries have their sales-tax licenses, but fewer than a hundred of the shops have applied for the specific dispensary license, according to the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses.
The city started accepting the applications on February 8.
Since fewer than 100 dispensaries applied during the first three weeks, that means another 400 dispensaries must either apply within the next five days, or be out of compliance with city regulations — and that means there’s likely going to be quite a crush of applications in the next five days.
The application process is involved, including the submission of floor plans, security plans, and area maps. All dispensary owners must show up in person to get fingerprinted for background checks.
The way Denver’s headed, dispensary operators are going to be the most scrutinized professional group, besides possibly child-care workers and ministers.