Council nears yearlong pot ban for Aurora, outlines other options

AURORA | An Aurora City Council committee will recommend at a meeting May 20 that commercial marijuana should be banned in the city for one year, but other options are still available.

The recommendation was originally scheduled for a meeting May 6.

According to documents ahead of the meeting, an option would be for the city to operate a seed-to-sale, or vertically integrated, marijuana retail operation of up to 15 facilities within the city. Under that option, the city alone would operate the commercial marijuana under a municipal enterprise and all other private marijuana operations would be prohibited.

Another proposal, offered by Councilwoman Barb Cleland, would allow marijuana cultivation facilities, product testing facilities and manufacturing facilities in industrial zones as soon as the state starts licensing marijuana operations in October. Under Cleland’s proposal, marijuana retailers would be banned.

Councilman Bob Broom’s proposal would prohibit all types of marijuana establishments in the city.

Council members will decide what option to move forward with at their council meeting May 20.

The state Legislature is currently deciding whether to mandate that the marijuana industry should be “vertically integrated,” meaning they would have to sell the marijuana they grow.

At an Amendment 64 Ad Hoc committee meeting in April, Roberto Venegas, intergovernmental relations coordinator for the city, said vertical integration is preferred by cities because it’s easier for law enforcement to keep track of marijuana. Also, there’s less chance of sellers buying product from cartels.

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said at the meeting that sheriffs and chiefs across the state are advocating for the marijuana industry to be vertically integrated.

“If we have seed-to-sale vertical integration, we’re going to know who the bad guys are versus those who are trying their best to comply with the law,” Oates said at the meeting.