Carbondale trustees weigh new conditions for pot operation

After hearing testimony Tuesday evening in a marijuana permit revocation proceeding, Carbondale trustees are considering adding new conditions to the business’s permit.

The board decided to continue its discussion on the permit of The Laughing Dog Group, a marijuana infused products business that’s been the subject of numerous complaints over the last year.

In the meantime, town staff will draft new conditions for Laughing Dog’s permit, including new inspection protocols, a maintenance contract with a mechanical engineer and requiring regular inspections by town staff.

Town staff recommended revoking Laughing Dog’s permit after the town received numerous complaints for more than a year about odors coming from the business and impacting a neighboring business. Trustees, however, said the case appeared much less clear-cut after hearing from Steve Garcia, owner of Laughing Dog, and others who came to his defense.

The building owner characterized this situation as a “tenant issue,” saying that the owner of the neighboring business, Novus Glass, has a long history of complaints against all the other tenants in the building.

Garcia defended himself, saying that he’s worked closely with the town’s building official and taken every step that’s been asked of him, including adding an air filtration system and exhaust fans, as well as installing foam insulation.

Town Council will resume the discussion, along with a draft of new permit conditions, during its Nov. 14 meeting.