Pot shop gives it another shot

This time it’s not just smoke and mirrors. After a long-awaited but short-lived beginning to legal marijuana sales in Durango last week, this time it’s for real.

On Sat., Oct. 4, Durango Organics will be the first local medical marijuana dispensary out of the recreational gates – again. “We’re really excited,” Durango organics co-owner Jonny Radding said Tuesday.

The store opened briefly Fri., Sept. 26, but closed shortly thereafter. The store was issued a cease and desist order by the City of Durango, at the behest of the state Marijuana Enforcement division, or MED.

Although the MED did not order the store to close – it could remain open to sell t-shirts, pipes and other non-marijuana paraphernalia – it did order the stoppage of all marijuana sales until violation issues could be sorted out.

According to City of Durango Code Enforcement Officer Steve Barkley, the State cited the store for four violations that morning, mostly dealing with potency testing and labeling. “Basically, we were working in conjunction with state marijuana enforcement,” Barkley said. “We assisted by putting the cease and desist order on the door so there wouldn’t be any accidental fails, so to speak.”

However, in the end, store owners decided to close retail operations until the violations could be dealt with. “They thought there was a compliance issue,” said Radding of the City’s posting of the notice. “I certainly don’t blame the City, there was a lot of misunderstanding that day.”

The most confusion arose over the wording of the regulations governing a one-time license transfer from medical to recreational use and whether potency testing was required. Last Friday, MED inspectors believed potency testing was required. Radding said he did end up having the marijuana tested although it was later deemed unnecessary by MED.

“The wording did not specify whether it had to be tested, but on Monday, the MED decided that we were correct in our interpretation and it did not have to be tested,” he said.

The City removed the cease and desist order Tuesday.

Throughout the entire process, Radding said both City and State officials were extremely cooperative, adding that MED agents, who were from the Grand Junction office, worked through the weekend to straighten out the situation. “Their goal was to get us up and running again as soon as possible,” he said. “It’s complex language, but the State and City are doing a great job of interpreting it.”

He also said as the first recreational store to open its doors in town, he was expecting to have the “microscope” on them. “Durango is the largest community in the southwest part of the state selling recreational pot,” he said. “I knew they were going to want to see we were doing things right.”

With the hiccup behind him, Radding plans a grand re-opening at the store, at 72 Suttle St., in Bodo Park, this Saturday. He said the few days will give the store time to regroup and throw a proper grand opening on a day when surrounding businesses will be closed. “Saturday is a better grand opening type of day than, say, Thursday, anyway,” he said. “This way, everyone can go home and try their new products in the privacy of their own home on a Saturday.”

Another medical marijuana dispensary, Animas Herbal Wellness, at 1111 Camino del Rio, is planning on opening its doors later this month pending construction of a wall between its medical and recreational pot operations.

Under state law, only existing medical marijuana operations could apply for recreational pot licenses for the first nine months of 2014. However, starting Oct. 1, the state opened up licensing to all comers, issuing licenses for 46 more pot shops, in addition to about 200 already in place.

Oil & Gas Task Force visits Durango

Colorado’s newly created Blue Ribbon Oil and Gas Task Force will be making one of its first stops next week in Durango.

Appointed by Gov. John Hickenlooper on Sept. 8, the Task Force was created as part of a deal between Hickenlooper and U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, that avoided a potential multi-million dollar battle over competing pro- and anti-oil and gas ballot initiatives. In exchange for parties withdrawing the initiatives, the state agreed to form a task force to make recommendations to the State Legislature on calming the controversy over drilling near homes, schools and businesses.

The Task Force is charged with developing policy and legislative recommendations to improve both state and local government regulation of oil and gas development. Issues the Task Force plans to address include: distances (setbacks) between oil and gas wells and occupied structures, noise abatement, dust, traffic management, fees, financial assurance, inspection and more.

Made up of 19 individuals, the Task Force is chaired by Randy Cleveland, of XTO Energy, and La Plata County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt. They have until Feb. 27, 2015, to make its recommendations.

The Durango meeting will be held from noon to 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9, and 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday, Oct. 10, at the Holiday Inn & Suites, 21636 Highway 160 West. The meeting is open to the public and there will be a public comment period from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9. Comments are limited to 3 minutes per person.

To find out more, go to, dnr.state.co.us/ogtaskforce or email ogtaskforce@state.co.

– Missy Votel