Senator Romer to withdraw his bill of regulations in Colorado

In a blog on Huffingtonpost.com Saturday, Senator Chris Romer
(D-Denver) announced his attention to drop his bill for an unworkable
licensing regime that would have driven 80% of Colorado medical marijuana
caregivers out of business. Romer claims that he is giving up on his
onerous bill because law enforcement and the medical marijuana community
were not willing to find common ground.

Romer saw that he had no political support for his complex monstrosity of a bill, and wisely decided to drop his misguided attempt at "regulation" before the legislative session even started.

Romer writes that his "attempts to bring medical marijuana out of the
shadows through a complex regulatory structure are now over." However,
Romer says he will still have a medical marijuana bill that will deal with
only a few issues. One issue he has identified is the "need for a
meaningful doctor patient relationship" to get a medical marijuana
recommendation. Hopefully, Romer will not try again to over-step his
authority and interfere in the doctor/patient relationship by requiring a
government panel to approve recommendations, as he did in his original
bill.

Romer also says his bill will allow the "creation of a 24-hour per day
registry for patients." CTI is hoping Romer is referring to CTI's repeated
requests for 24/7 access for law enforcement to the Medical Marijuana
Registry. Currently, law enforcement can only contact the Registry to
verify whether a patient is a current member during regular business
hours. If a patient has an encounter with law enforcement after 5pm and on
weekends, law enforcement cannot contact the Registry to verify a
patient's status. This means a lot of patients are going to jail
unnecessarily. This is a huge problem for patients and has been for
several years.

Romer did say, however, that a bill supported by law enforcement would be
introduced in the House that would prohibit a caregiver from serving more
than 5 patients. Romer did not name a sponsor for this bill.

Thanks for keeping everyone updated on the progress in Colorado... Its good to hear Romer decided to pull his bill hopefully we can hope for the same from law enforcement but I doubt they will be as eager to pull their bill so quickly.

FlyLikeAnEagle said:

Romer did say, however, that a bill supported by law enforcement would be
introduced in the House that would prohibit a caregiver from serving more
than 5 patients. Romer did not name a sponsor for this bill.

Click to expand...

Proof right there... if he cannot shut down the current dispensaries he will just make it impossible for them to sign over caregivers rights for more than 5 people. An underhanded attempt to squeeze his crappy agenda in once again.

DO NOT VOTE FOR ROMER EVER AGAIN!

He does NOT serve the interests of the people...only his own.


and +rep for FlyLikeAnEagle who has been dutifully watching this topic all along!

MacGuyver4.2.0 said:

Proof right there... if he cannot shut down the current dispensaries he will just make it impossible for them to sign over caregivers rights for more than 5 people. An underhanded attempt to squeeze his crappy agenda in once again.

DO NOT VOTE FOR ROMER EVER AGAIN!

He does NOT serve the interests of the people...only his own.


and +rep for FlyLikeAnEagle who has been dutifully watching this topic all along!

Click to expand...

In August 2010, there are upcoming Democratic primaries.

Sen. Romer is a Denver Democrat, and thus he represents a city that has now voted three times in the last 5 years to completely legalize marijauna. His constant pushing of the police views on the issue is thus at a far extreme from the likely position of Denver democratic primary voters. Seemingly, we should be able to defeat him.

And it gets even better. State Senators are part-time jobs. They also all have day-jobs. Sen. Romer's day job is that he's a Wall Street banker. Yes, that's right. He works for JP Morgan.

Type something like "Romer, Richardson, bonds, JP Morgan" into google and you'll find stories about how Romer was involved in shady bond deals with the state of New Mexico. These deals are the reason why Richardson withdrew from Obama's cabinet.

And, I'm just guessing, but someone at Romer's level in a wall street bank gets a lot of their pay through bonuses.

So, in the August 2010 democratic primary, don't you think we can beat a shady wall-street banker who gets those lovely wall street bonus checks that everyone loves and who also is leading the law enforcement charge against medical marijuana in a city that has a majority that has nearly 60% voting for complete legalization.

We need to organize in this session of course. But, we also need to organize for next summer when we kick this Democratic donkey the heck out of government.

Good. I heard about it being pulled yesterday.


Screw this guy, and any of the suits who think weed is the worst security threat ever. I don't see them trying to stop REAL security issues. Walgreens has twice, three times as many, who knows how many times as potent, prescription meds, and they don't even have a guard, but dispensaries have to be regulated that heavily? I mean, don't get me wrong, most dispensaries will get a bouncer just to feel safer, but the suits are trying to act like having a dispensary is going to corrupt everything and everyone within a couple blocks of it, causing block wars and shit.

There's more important things they could be working on. Illegal immigration. Employment. Education, dropouts (especially drop outs related to gangs). But no, let's crack down on GREENS, one of the most mellow things you could possibly even do.

Ugh.

Apparently they DID implement the new rule that each caregver can only have 5 patients.

Lucius Vorenus said:

Apparently they DID implement the new rule that each caregver can only have 5 patients.

Click to expand...

Sorry where is the bill which states this? I haven't read anything about any bills passing here is a link to the two bills which are being proposed... if there was a bill passed can you paste the link so we all can be informed?

Thanks.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/11/colorado-medical-marijuan_n_418818.html

romer is not running again for same position.
they announced it a week or so ago.
he is giving up. what a dip sh*t that guy is.

btw.....i live in colorado

Lucius Vorenus said:

Apparently they DID implement the new rule that each caregver can only have 5 patients.

Click to expand...

...But Romer has passed the dirty deed to another Senator possibly Massey(R) that has the 5 patient limit in it.
Expect ALOT of pissed off voters in CO very soon!

Does anyone got a link?

there has been no official news on this... therefor nothing has changed. there is no change in the bills regarding growers and the limit of 5 clients. department of health has no given any public changes.... or it would be all over the internet. i have searched for days and I can't find shit. i saw one site saying it was passed and is implemented as of march 1 2010 or some shit. that came off of some bogus news site. where is the legitimate news here. Im on my way to the green rush baby.

The law that will take effect on 3/1/10 is the regulations the City of Denver has imposed on dispensaries. The regs would require a 1000ft. buffer zone in between dispensaries and any type of educational or childrens center. A new special permit will be required to operate a dispensary that serves more than five patients at the cost of $2000 initially, then a $3000 annual renewal fee. It also gives law enforcement officials the right to search records and inventory for compliance without probable cause or a search warrant. Security is another requirement, 24 hour cameras, armed guards and there were a few other things in the bill too.

This bill was undoubtedly brought to the Denver City council by special interest group looking to eliminate the competition
in the growing mmj community. The cost will be passed on to the patients.

The patients who are already paying ridiculous amounts of money for their medicine. With all these dispensaries thinking that they are also breeders claiming to have bred their own strains and trying to charge $60-$80 an eighth.
Bullshit!

EVG Health said:

there has been no official news on this... therefor nothing has changed. there is no change in the bills regarding growers and the limit of 5 clients. department of health has no given any public changes.... or it would be all over the internet. i have searched for days and I can't find shit. i saw one site saying it was passed and is implemented as of march 1 2010 or some shit. that came off of some bogus news site. where is the legitimate news here. Im on my way to the green rush baby.

Click to expand...

Here's the 9News article on the new regulations:
https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-news-around-globe/291806-please-read-denver-stricter-pot.html#post3660070

If you read towards the bottom of the article, it mentions that Romer is trying to push a 'new' version of his bill through another senator (possibly Massey) that will limit caregivers to only 5 cardholders.

Word on the street is that Romer (who works for JP Morgan, wall street type) has ties to a large California grower who is trying to move into Colorado since CA is saturated already. If Romer (or his minions) succeed, they will control the growing aspect in CO. NEVER trust ANY politician, THEY ALL SUCK!

link does not work... and its not official... i am yet to see any bill whatsoever. RUMORS... check out www.colorado.gov and see what they spoke about jan 12, and 13th.

EVG Health said:

link does not work... and its not official... i am yet to see any bill whatsoever. RUMORS... check out www.colorado.gov and see what they spoke about jan 12, and 13th.

Click to expand...

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=130545&provider=top&catid=188

DENVER - The city council unanimously passed a bill late Monday night levying regulations on the booming business of medical marijuana dispensaries in the Mile High City.

The regulations were set to go into effect on March 1, but are subject to change depending on what type of bill develops in the state legislature.

Last week, the city council unanimously gave initial approval to the regulations in Denver. On Monday night, a packed house showed up to have their voices heard prior to the city council's vote.

"We just don't want to see access and safe access limited, or ordinances created that would create a burden on the patient," James Merklund said.

Dan Shaw said: "We feel that it's a good bill, and that its a reasonable bill and should be adopted."
The approved proposal prohibits dispensaries from operating within 1,000 feet of schools, day cares and other dispensaries.

That was good news for Stacy Ashley, who told the council a dispensary was about to open up right next to her daughter's school.

"I think our children should come first, there's a reason why medical marijuana should not be distributed close to children," Ashley said.

The new regulations also bar felons convicted within the last five years from running shops.

"I ask that you only give me the opportunity to prove myself, I've paid for my debts, I'm a non-violent felon," Pierre Werner said. Werner scuffled with a would-be burglar at his marijuana dispensary in Boulder early Sunday morning, resulting in an arrest. A second would-be burglar escaped.

The regulations also instruct customers not to smoke on site.

"I worry we're going to introduce more problems and feel, as neighbors, powerless to do much about it," David Coldiron said.
The city began placing a sales tax on dispensaries back on Dec. 1.

"I find it kind of incredible that a city government would be sitting down a way to shut down 300 new businesses in an economy that is down," Laura Kriho said.
Councilman Charlie Brown says at least 250 dispensaries are operating in the city, with 390 applying for licenses in what Brown says is the fastest-growing industry in the city.
"It has to be regulated, it has to be licensed, and that's what this is all about," Brown said.
New dispensary owners also have to pass a criminal background check to meet the city's regulations, after the vote passed by a 13-0 count.
"If you had a felony in the last five years, 'See ya, we don't want you in Denver,'" Brown said.
The regulations require a new dispensary owner to pay a $2,000 non-refundable application fee and $3,000 a year to renew their license.
"If you're going to complain about paying taxes and fees, then maybe you shouldn't be in business in Denver as well," Brown said.
Dispensary owner Miles Zalkin says the city's new rules mean legitimate operations, that help patients suffering from cancer, will stay in business.
"We're hoping that these types of deterrents will take people that shouldn't be in this business that are in it and knock them out when they go to apply for their license, which all of us are going to have to apply for," Zalkin said.

Several different bills about medical marijuana will likely be debated after the legislative session starts this Wednesday.
State Senator Chris Romer (D-Denver) tells the Denver Post that Rep. Tom Massey (R-Poncha Springs) will likely introduce a bill that would put a five person limit on the number of patients a pot provider, or caregiver, can serve.
Romer plans to support a different bill which would more strictly define the relationship between doctors and their marijuana-seeking patients.

To read the Denver City Council's Bill as it was amended on Jan. 4, click here.
http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/81/documents/Bill_2010_0034Amended-1-4-10.pdf

The first time law enforcement comes into an MMJ without a warrant and starts to search records I hope that MMJ dispensary reports them to HIPAA because its a CLEAR violation of the HIPAA rules... Patients have a right to have their medical conditions and ailments kept private ESPECIALLY from law enforcement...