DENVER—The fight over medical marijuana is about to begin at the state Capitol.
Sen. Chris Romer introduced a bill Wednesday that would bar doctors from operating out of medical marijuana dispensaries or profiting from referring patients to dispensaries.
Under the measure, patients would only be able to get permission to use medical marijuana from a doctor they have previously visited. It would require that doctors perform a complete exam before recommending that a patient be added to the state’s approved list of medical marijuana users.
A handful of doctors has recommended many of the patients on the registry, raising suspicions that some are helping recreational pot users become authorized medical marijuana users with only cursory medical evaluations.
“It should be harder to get medical marijuana than it is to buy a bottle of tequila,” Romer said.
Dispensary owners say many people can’t get a medical marijuana recommendation from their regular doctors because physicians are wary because marijuana use remains illegal under federal drug laws.
Lawmakers have been talking for months about how to regulate the state’s booming medical marijuana industry, but Romer’s bill is the first to be introduced.
In the state House, Rep. Tom Massey is also working on a bill that could limit the number of people marijuana providers are allowed to supply. Romer said he opposes that plan and, if it’s introduced, he’ll work to turn dispensaries into regulated clinics rather than just impose a limit on suppliers.
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The measure is Senate Bill 109.
