Municipal leaders will hold a workshop to consider a 17-page proposed retail marijuana ordinance at 5 p.m. tonight.

Last month, days before a commercial marijuana moratorium was to sunset, the Cortez City Council voted unanimously to extend its prohibition on retail marijuana sales through the end of the year. The initial moratorium was adopted last fall, four months prior to legalized sales on Jan. 1.

The first draft ordinance to regulate retail sales is presented at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22. As written, the ordinance would allow state-licensed retails establishments to exist within city limits, but only to current medical marijuana dispensaries in good standing.

Pending an application process, background check, annual fee and public hearing, licenses would be required for retail, cultivation, manufacturer and testing operations. Store hours would be limited from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and owners must provide customers with information about local drug treatment centers.

The ordinance would prohibit the manufacture of hash oil, commercial operations within 1,500 feet of any school, and exterior signage larger than standard office paper using the words “marijuana,” “cannabis” or any other “symbol commonly understood to refer to marijuana.”

Language included in the proposal would also allow council members to limit the number of retail shops within the city limit. The city currently has seven areas zoned for medical marijuana businesses.

As for a timeline, City Manager Shane Hale said the council could repeal or amend the moratorium and adopt an ordinance to regulate or prohibit retail sales at any time.

As a result of Amendment 64, Colorado became the first state to authorize and regulate commercial marijuana sales starting in 2014. In the first quarter, $7.3 million in state taxes was collected.

According to officials, the city’s four percent sales tax on medical marijuana products adds approximately $50,000 annually to city coffers.

tbaker@cortezjournal.com