Marijuana Regulation Changes Announced In Denver

DENVER, CO — A cap has now been established in Denver for new marijuana store locations and cultivation, the city announced Friday in a bulletin. Without the cap, new applications for businesses were halted; so for the first time since 2016, there will be an opportunity for people to apply for new marijuana cultivation or retail locations through a lottery.

Denver's Department of Excise and Licenses is asking city council to delay the lottery for a year so that a social equity plan can be developed and implemented for people who were disproportionately and negatively impacted by marijuana prohibition. The plan would offer those people a better opportunity to participate in the market, the department said.

Over the past few years, some stores and cultivation business have lost their licenses or decided to go out of business, the city said. Now that the cap is set, there will be opportunities for new license locations based on how many fewer locations are currently in Denver compared to how many are allowed under the cap.

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In accordance with city law, Denver's Department of Excise and Licenses has set the following permanent caps for marijuana sales and cultivation locations:

• 220 marijuana sales locations
• 299 marijuana cultivation locations
• 451 cumulative cap for marijuana cultivation and sales locations*

*Because some businesses combine their sales and cultivation locations, city council also adopted a cumulative cap to account for co-located sales and cultivation facilities.

Marijuana industry stakeholders are invited to participate in a feedback session to discuss and provide input on the new lottery and licensing. The session will from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. March 5 in the City and County Building — 1437 Bannock St., in the Parr-Widener Community Room, room number 389.