Mesa County approves ban of retail pot shops

The race is on to establish regulations on commercial marijuana sales throughout the state. And Mesa County Commissioners were the first to establish a ban in the Grand Valley.

As of Monday, Aug. 9, unincorporated Mesa County will prohibit pot retail shops, commercial cultivation facilities, marijuana product manufacturing facilities, testing facilities, and related land uses. Public comment was taken at the second reading of the ordinance before its unanimous approval.

Palisade extended its moratorium on commercial marijuana use at its Tuesday, Aug. 10, council meeting by establishing a new moratorium covering “the operation of marijuana cultivation facilities, marijuana product manufacturing facilities, marijuana testing facilities, retail marijuana stores and marijuana clubs,” an official Palisade moratorium document said.

The moratorium already in place only covered “the use or consumption of marijuana or marijuana products on commercial and industrial zoned property that operates as a place of private assembly,” another moratorium document noted.

Palisade’s new moratorium on commercial marijuana business will expire Jan. 15, 2015.

And Fruita’s town council has a first reading of a proposed ordinance to ban commercial marijuana business on Aug. 20. A second reading of the ordinance with a public hearing will likely occur on Sept. 17.

“The proposal draft is to ban (commercial marijuana sales) in the city, but we won’t know for sure what council will do,” Fruita’s Community Development Director Dahna Raugh said.

Grand Junction City Council recently moved to ban commercial pot shops, too. A second reading of the proposed ordinance to ban these types of businesses in GJ is currently scheduled for Sept. 4 along with a public hearing.