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New Coalition to Lead the Fight for Responsible Regulation of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries, Growers and Caregivers
Medical Marijuana Campaign Seeks Responsible Regulation That Aligns With Voter Sentiment
| Source: Sensible Patient and Provider Coalition
DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - January 14, 2010) - With Colorado legislators set to convene the
sixty-seventh General Assembly, a new coalition -- the Sensible Patient and
Provider Coalition (SPPC) -- has formed to lead the fight for responsible
regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries, growers and caregivers.
The coalition, made up of Colorado's leading medical marijuana
organizations, represents the middle ground in the debate over regulation
of medical marijuana.
With its mix of business owners, caregivers and patients, SPPC supports
statewide medical marijuana rules that promote public safety, give local
government key decision-making control, ensure patients have safe access to
dispensaries and caregivers, and provide state and local governments with
adequate taxes and fees to regulate and enforce medical marijuana
regulations.
"The voters of Colorado support sensible, responsible regulation of the
medical marijuana industry, and the majority of legislators recognize
that," said Brian Vicente, co-chair of the Sensible Patient and Provider
Coalition. "It's critical we come to consensus on this issue and then move
on to other important issues that affect Coloradans."
Coalition members include:
-- Sensible Colorado, www.sensiblecolorado.org, a group of Colorado
professionals and parents formed to research, educate, and advocate for
effective drug policy.
-- Coloradans for Medical Marijuana Regulation, www.commr.org, a coalition
of medical marijuana patients and providers formed to establish criteria
for the regulation of medical marijuana in order to make a positive
difference in people's lives.
-- Colorado Patients and Providers Coalition (CPPC), www.cppc-cog.org, a
homegrown Colorado organization acting for the betterment of our local
community and to aid in creation of legislation affecting fair regulation
and to keep local business Colorado Owned & Grown (COG).
-- Dispensary Owner's Coalition, www.dispensaryownersco.com, a group of
Denver-area medical marijuana dispensary owners and caregivers providing
services to patients throughout the region.
SPPC seeks regulation that aligns with voter sentiment. A recent poll by
Coloradans for Medical Marijuana Regulation, a SPPC coalition member,
showed that Colorado voters overwhelmingly favor establishing
state-licensed marijuana dispensaries for persons who are suffering from
debilitating medical conditions. By a margin of 2-to-1, 64 percent of
voters said they would approve proposals that would establish
state-licensed marijuana dispensaries to cultivate and provide marijuana to
patients with doctors' recommendations.
SPPC members are opposed to proposals which seek to limit medical marijuana
caregivers to five patients, as limiting caregivers to only a few patients
will cause an explosion in the number of small-scale grow operations as
larger operations are forced to close. That leaves police and local fire
departments in the unenviable position of monitoring literally thousands of
small grows in every corner of the state. As more patients are prescribed
medical marijuana, more neighborhood-based caregivers will be servicing
patients -- potentially in someone's backyard.
"The recent five to one proposals are wolves in sheep's clothing that will
put public safety at risk and would be virtually impossible to regulate,"
said SPPC co-chair Matt Brown. "These plan will also require an army of
new government regulators and that is something the state can ill-afford in
this economic recession."