Date: 10/01/2014

Final
Discussion of Bills

MARIJUANA SALES TAX REVENUES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
<none><none>





09:40 AM -- Discussion of Bills

Representative Pabon, Chair, called the meeting to order. He discussed the bill drafts that had been distributed to the committee, and Commissioner Pace came to the table to present Bill 1, which addresses medical marijuana (Attachment A). Commissioner Pace discussed the genesis of the bill, which had been discussed at the previous meeting of the committee. He spoke to amendments he was going to be proposing for the bill. Commissioner Pace also discussed the key elements of the bill, which are the appointment of a special prosecutor within the Attorney General's Office to address medical marijuana offenses, increased regulation of caregivers, and the testing of marijuana cultivated by caregivers. Andrew Freedman, State Director of Marijuana Coordination, came to the table to speak further to the drafting of the bill and discussed the perspective of the Governor's Office on the changes that need to be made in how medical marijuana is regulated.

14Marijuana1001AttachA.pdf14Marijuana1001AttachA.pdf

09:55 AM

Commissioner Pace discussed Amendment 2 (Attachment B), which would strike a provision of the bill that eliminates transfers of medical marijuana inventory to a retail operation. He responded to a question on the original intent of this transfer banning provision. He then explained Amendment 5 (Attachment C), which would replace a section of the bill to allow the state health agency to provide primary caregiver information electronically to the state licensing authority and the Department of Public Safety for entry into the Colorado Crime Information Center (CCIC). The committee discussed the charge and scope of the committee in light of Bill 1 and the substantive changes it would make to state law concerning medical marijuana. Commissioner Pace and Mr. Freedman responded to questions about the new felony offenses created in the bill for caregivers who do not register and the appointment of a special prosecutor for medical marijuana by the Attorney General's office under the bill. The committee discussed the process and intent behind having a committee drafted bill.

14Marijuana1001AttachB.pdf14Marijuana1001AttachB.pdf 14Marijuana1001AttachC.pdf14Marijuana1001AttachC.pdf

10:09 AM

 The committee discussed what would happen if a physician or pharmacist were practicing without proper licensure or illegally distributing drugs and if the penalties for such conduct would be similar to those laid out in the bill for caregivers who fail to register. It also conferred on medical and recreational marijuana testing, the importance of having Bill 1 approved by the committee and put forth to the legislature to be considered upon its merits, and the penalties for illegal cultivation of marijuana and operating as a caregiver without registering. Representative Pabon discussed the merits of the bill and how it is a beginning of the discussion on how to improve the regulation of medical and recreational marijuana in Colorado.


10:25 AM

Bill 2 was distributed to the committee (Attachment D), and Commissioner Pace described how the bill allows local governments to implement sales and excise taxes on retail marijuana. Gini Pingenot, representing Colorado Counties, Inc. (CCI), came to the table and stated that the bill is a legislative priority for CCI. Amendment 1 to Bill 2 (Attachment E) was distributed to the committee, which removed the statutory caps on local sales and excise taxes on recreational marijuana that were included in the original bill draft. The committee discussed the merits of the bill.

14Marijuana1001AttachD.pdf14Marijuana1001AttachD.pdf 14Marijuana1001AttachE.pdf14Marijuana1001AttachE.pdf

10:34 AM

The committee took a brief recess.


10:45 AM

The committee came back to order. Bill 3 was distributed to the committee (Attachment F). Senator Jahn discussed the high cost of substance use disorder services that had been brought to light during the meetings of the committee. She spoke to how difficult it is for an individual with a substance dependence to obtain treatment and work towards sobriety. She stated that the legislature needs to provide funding for organizations that can treat such individuals. She told the committee that she was working on legislation to address this, drafted as Bill 3, but that she was not ready to take it out of the committee yet. Senator Jahn stated that ultimately we are dealing with mental health issues when it comes to addiction and substance abuse, and that the state needs a way of dealing with this. The committee discussed funding for mental health providers and substance use services providers in the state, how the Department of Human Services can assist with such services, and declared its support for funding these types of programs.

14Marijuana1001AttachF.pdf14Marijuana1001AttachF.pdf