The Colorado Department of Revenue will issue emergency rules for forthcoming recreational marijuana stores by July 1 without taking public comment, the department announced Friday.
In , the department said there has already been substantial public involvement in writing new laws for pot shops — both through a special task force created to suggest laws and at the state legislature, which this year.
“Given the breadth and depth of the public participation in connection with the Task Force and the implementing legislation and the short time within which the State Licensing Authority is required to adopt emergency rules, there will not be opportunity for additional input from the public prior to July 1,” the department wrote in its announcement.
Amendment 64 — the measure Colorado voters approved in November that legalizes limited possession of marijuana and allows for its sale in specially regulated stores — gives the Department of Revenue only for pot shops. The rules are a step below the laws the legislature passed and will deal with specifics on running marijuana stores, such as security requirements and licensure procedures.
If the state misses the July 1 deadline, local governments could give the go-ahead for stores to open without state approval. Because Gov. John Hickenlooper only this week governing recreational pot shops, the Revenue Department had barely a month to meet the deadline.
The emergency rules will be in place, at most, until Oct. 29. The department will start working on permanent rules in July to replace the emergency rules. It will take public input on the permanent rules at a hearing scheduled for the week of Aug. 19.
Issues related to marijuana taxes — — will be handled in a separate rule-making process, the department announced.
The first recreational marijuana shops still appear on track to open Jan. 1, 2014.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068, jingold@denverpost.com or twitter.com/john_ingold
