| Photo: A Greener Country |
A bill regulating Colorado’s medical marijuana dispensaries is almost ready for the governor’s desk after legislators Thursday decided to keep the location of licensed cannabis-growing operations confidential.
The change would require the addresses of growing facilities to be blacked out on copies of their licensing documents requested by the public, reports John Ingold of The Denver Post.
It would mean that Colorado residents couldn’t learn from public records if there are legal marijuana-growing operations in their neighborhoods.
| The Democratic Party of Denver |
| Colorado State Sen. Pat Steadman: “I think the neighborhood is safer if it’s not a matter of public record of where you can find a warehouse full of marijuana plants” |
It would also mean that criminals looking for potential targets couldn’t use the records to find out where to conduct rip-offs, according to Sen. Pat Steadman (D-Denver), who proposed the amendment.
“I think the neighborhood is safer if it’s not a matter of public record of where you can find a warehouse full of marijuana plants,” Steadman said.
The amendment, as first proposed, would have kept all grow facility documents confidential.
Open-records advocate Greg Romberg, a lobbyist for the Colorado Press Association, said he raised concerns about that with Sen. Steadman.
Romberg’s concerns resulted in Thursday’s rare third-reading amendment to make only the addresses confidential.
The Senate gave final approval to the bill, HB 1284, by a 26-9 vote.
Changes made to the bill in the Senate will have to be approved by the House before the bill hits Gov. Bill Ritter’s desk.