A bill regulating the state’s medical-marijuana industry moved to the precipice of the governor’s desk Thursday, after lawmakers made a change to keep the location of licensed marijuana-growing facilities confidential.
The change, which would require the addresses of such facilities be blacked out on copies of the facilities’ licensing documents requested by the public, would mean that Colorado residents couldn’t learn from public records whether there are legal marijuana-growing operations in their neighborhoods.
It also would mean, said Sen. Pat Steadman, the Denver Democrat who proposed the amendment, that criminals trolling for potential targets couldn’t use state records as a “one-stop shop” for finding out where the valuable operations are.
“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, which at first kept all grow-facility documents confidential, caught open-record advocates by surprise. Greg Romberg, a lobbyist for the Colorado Press Association, said he raised concerns with Steadman, which prompted Thursday’s rare third-reading change to make only the addresses confidential.
Given the limited number of options to make changes to the bill this late in the legislative session, Romberg said it would have to do.
The Senate gave final approval to the bill, House Bill 1284, on a 26-9 vote. Changes made to the bill in the Senate must still be approved by the House before the bill can go to Gov. Bill Ritter.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com
