Dispensaries could soon resemble convenience stores now that lawmakers have passed a bill that will change industry regulations.
Marijuana dispensaries could start resembling convenience stores now that lawmakers have passed a bill that would significantly change industry regulations.
State legislators only considered a few bills related to cannabis this year, but the one they passed, Senate Bill 24-076, would have wide-ranging effects. Dispensaries would be allowed to sell non-infused items for consumption like snacks, soft drinks and candy (but not tobacco), as long as they don’t exceed 20 percent of the store’s overall sales. The bill would also open up Colorado marijuana growers to more plant breeding opportunities and streamline a handful of licensing and production processes.
“This is a great example of the state finally regulating marijuana like alcohol,” says Marijuana Industry Group executive director Truman Bradley. “The ability to sell food and drink in a dispensary is something that customers have been asking for since dispensaries became legal. Nothing in this bill is going to wildly change the fortunes of the cannabis industry, but these are small and important steps toward right-sizing bloated regulations.”
Governor Jared Polis hasn’t yet signed the bill, but he’s expected to. [Read More @ Westwood]