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March 28, 2014

75 cents Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 94, Issue 6 A publication of

englewoodherald.net

Pot moratorium proposal expanded Council adds new medical centers to 6-month ban By Tom Munds

tmunds@ coloradocommunitymedia.com The Englewood City Council voted March 17 to approve an amendment to the proposed moratorium on medical marijuana grow and manufacturing facilities in the city for the next six months to include new medical marijuana sales centers.

At the March 17 meeting, the council considered the moratorium banning the establishment of new medical marijuana grow and manufacturing facilities for the next six months on second and final reading. Since the proposal was drafted as an emergency ordinance, it becomes law the day it is passed instead of the normal process of not being effective until 30 days after passage. During the discussion of the moratorium, Councilmember Jill Wilson proposed amending the ordinance to include prohibiting the establishment of additional

medical marijuana centers. Dan Brotzman, city attorney, said if the council approved the amended ordinance establishing the moratorium on establishing new medical marijuana grow and manufacturing facilities, the law would immediately go into effect. He added that the council would then have to consider the amended ordinance that includes a ban on medical marijuana sale centers on second and final reading at the next city council meeting on April 7. It still would be an emergency ordinance and would be effective the day it was passed.

Two years ago, the city regulations set the distance medical marijuana facilities must be from each other and from schools and parks. Those restrictions leave only a few areas in Englewood where medical marijuana businesses can operate. Earlier this year, an applicant received a city license to establish a medical marijuana grow facility in the area zoned industrial in the 4600 block of South Windermere Street. The Medical Marijuana and Liquor Pot continues on Page 12

Laws tighten marijuana regulations Packaging standard aims to safeguard kids from pot By Vic Vela

vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Members of the Bishop Bucket Drummers march to th beat they set on their drums during a March 20 performance at the Englewood Middle School Auditorium. About 75 parents, siblings and friends attended the performance. Photos by Tom Munds

Spotlight shines on Bishop students Bucket drummers, dancers combine talents for show By Tom Munds

tmunds@ coloradocommunitymedia.com

Ariana Wilborn, left, and Lesley Sanchez team up on a routine for the Bishop Bucket Drummers. The drummers performed March 20 at the Englewood Middle School Auditorium.

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Young Bishop Elementary School drummers and dancers displayed their talents for an appreciative audience at a March 20 performance on the Englewood Middle School Auditorium stage. “These students attend a couple of our after-school clubs funded by the grant from 21st Century Community Learning Centers that was awarded to our school,” said Clarice Fortunato, grant coordinator. “Tonight we have our bucket drummers and dancers performing. The drummers are thirdthrough sixth-graders and our dancers are kindergartners, first- and second-graders.” She said the grant provided funds for after-school programs for five years. Each year, the amount of the grant declines, and this is the fourth year for the Bishop grant. She said the school plans to apply for a new round of grants that will be awarded next year. Bishop used the grant to set up and maintain after-school academic and enrichment programs, Fortunato said. She said the students taking part in the grant program attend an academic club in one of the core subjects for an hour, then spend an hour in an enrichment club focusing on activities including drumming, Students continues on Page 12

Gov. John Hickenlooper signed two bills into law on March 17 that tighten regulations on marijuana sales and aim to make it more difficult for the drug to be consumed by children. House Bill 1122 will require that medical marijuana that is sold in edible form — such as pot brownies or cookies — is wrapped in opaque packaging that does not create an “attractive nuisance” for kids. The law seeks to prevent incidents where children accidentally eat pot-laced edibles, which can sometimes result in emergency room trips. “Child-resistant packaging is required for things like Tylenol because it works,” Hickenlooper said during a Capitol press conference. “You should have no different standard for marijuana.” Regulations that the Legislature put into place last year as a result of the 2012 passage of Amendment 64 — which legalized recreational pot use in Colorado — already include strict packaging requirements for retail sales. This law sets that same standard for medical marijuana sales. Hickenlooper was joined by Dr. Sam Wang, a pediatric emergency room physician at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Wang said there has been an increase in the number of children who are hospitalized due to accidental ingestion of marijuana. “Symptoms vary quite a bit, anywhere from mild symptoms, a little bit of sleepiness, but we’ve had some severe cases where children have actually had an inability to breathe adequately, requiring tubes,” Wang said. The bill also gives retail marijuana store owners the ability to confiscate a fake ID from a person younger than 21 who attempts to buy the drug. Additionally, the bill increases penalties for those who are caught selling marijuana to minors. “Everybody came together on this and our kids will be better, safer and kept away from marijuana as a result,” said Rep. Daniel Kagan, D-Cherry Hills Village, a bill sponsor. Hickenlooper also signed Kagan’s House Bill 1229 into law, which will allow local jurisdictions to submit fingerprints of those applying for a retail marijuana license to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Hickenlooper said the law will bar “bad actors” with criminal records who try to gain access to the retail pot industry. Laws continues on Page 12


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