Some tools intended to help enforce Colorado's medical marijuana regulations have not been fully realized:
LAB TESTING
State statute allows the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division to contract with a laboratory for independent testing to determine whether products contain molds, pesticides or other substances.
The division, however, did not address testing in its original round of rule-making. At a stakeholder forum in November, the division set up a subgroup to devise draft rules. But the entire rule-making process is on pause while state officials create a regulatory framework for recreational marijuana, made legal by Amendment 64.
MONITORING SURVEILLANCE
In 2010, the state required marijuana stores and growing facilities toinstallvideo-surveillance systems able to connect to the Internet so state auditors could peek in remotely any time. The division was in the final round of choosing a vendor when budget problems hit, and the project was shelved. ...
TRACKING TECHNOLOGY
In July 2011, the division agreed to pay $636,278.81 to Franwell Inc. of Lakeland, Fla., to develop a seed-to-saletracking systemusing Radio Frequency Identification. The project was put on hold last spring because of budget problems, and the contract has been extended through May. The division still hopes to use the technology in some form.
BLANK RULEBOOK PAGES
A handful of sections of the division's regulatory rulebook were never
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written, including those about inspections and investigations, record retention andinstructionsfor local licensing authorities and law enforcement. The division says it focused on the essential rules back in 2010 and still intends to flesh out those areas.
Sources: records obtained through Colordo Open Records Act; Julie Postlethwait, Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division.
Some tools intended to help enforce Colorado's medical marijuana regulations have not been fully realized:
LAB TESTING State statute allows the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division to contract with a laboratory for independent testing to determine whether products contain molds, pesticides or other substances. The division, though, didn't address testing in its original round of rule-making. At a stakeholder forum in November, the division set up a subgroup to devise draft rules. But the entire rule-making process is on pause while officials create a regulatory framework for recreational marijuana.
MONITORING SURVEILLANCE In 2010, the state required marijuana stores and growing facilities to install video-surveillance systemsable to connect to the Internet so state auditors could peek in remotely any time. The division was in the final round of choosing a vendor when budget problems hit, and the idea was shelved. The Internet-connectivity requirement for surveillance systems has been dropped in a draft of new rules meant to streamline regulations for medical-marijuana businesses. The entire rulebook is up for review, but that has been delayed as state officials devise rules for recreational marijuana.
TRACKING TECHNOLOGY In July 2011, the division agreed to pay $636,278.81 to Franwell Inc. of Lakeland, Fla., to develop a seed-to-sale tracking system using Radio Frequency Identification. The project was put on hold last spring because of budget problems, and the contract has been extended through May. The division still hopes to use the technology
BLANK RULE BOOK PAGESA handful of sections of the division's regulatory rule book were never written, including those about inspections and investigations, record retention and instructions for local licensing authorities and law enforcement.
Sources: records obtained through Colorado Open Records Act; Julie Postlethwait, Colorado Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division
Unrealized promises of regulating medical marijuana