Delta County Commissioners took a step back from a proposed ordinance curtailing Amendment 64 Tuesday after a group of concerned business owners and marijuana activists complained.
Marty Durlin reports that six people spoke to commissioners at their regular meeting Tuesday, asking them to rethink their effort to ban commercial marijuana establishments in Delta County. Comments ranged from a defense of marijuana as a valuable agricultural crop to a plea to at least drop part of the proposed ordinance that would designate soil and fertilizer as “marijuana accessories.”
Scott C. Wilson, who ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the board last year, said, "By attempting to pass this ordinance, you’re just about outlawing agriculture in Delta County -- A pair of trimming scissors, a baggie, anything to do with the farming, cultivation, fertilization, anything to do with hemp, farming equipment becomes suspect. Now this is an outrage. I don’t want my tax dollars going to the Delta County sheriff to enforce this kind of nonsense when Amendment 64 has been clearly approved by the Colorado voters."
Wilson and others asked the commissioners to consider a six-month moratorium on any new marijuana ordinance, pending a decision by the state on how to implement Amendment 64. Several in the group, including Kay Hanna, asked commissioners to form a bi-partisan committee of stakeholders work out a solution unique to the county.
The commissioners asked staff to look at several aspects of the proposed ordinance that had drawn fire from constituents. They will take up the question again at their Feb. 4 meeting.
