Dear Friends,
As you know, Mr. Dan Hartman was removed from his position as Director of the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division due primarily to the efforts of our Attorney General, John Suthers.
On the last day as Director, I met with Mr. Hartman to answer many of the questions posed by our clients and colleagues.
Q&A
1. If a MMB that was locally banned (i.e., Fort Collins, Longmont, etc.) withdraws its application and then moves to a favorable jurisdiction, when can they begin operation?
Answer: The local authority must approve the business, then MMED will move forward with state approval. The MMB will receive preference in the processing of the application.
2. Can a MMC sell to a primary caregiver?
Answer: Only if the primary caregiver’s patient is homebound and the appropriate home delivery request has been approved by MMED.
3. Can a MMC sell to a patient who has valid paperwork on file with the MMC?
Answer: No. A valid MMJ registry card must be presented every time, including patients that have assigned the MMC as their primary center.
4. Can MMCs trade an equal amount of MMJ with another MMC without implicating the 70/30 rule?
Answer: No. There are no “trades” permitted. Payment from one MMC to the other MMC is required and there must be paperwork evidencing the transaction.
5. Can a MMC sell kief hash and/or bubble hash wholesale to other MMCs without implicating 70/30?
Answer: The answer was not clear. Mr. Hartman acknowledged that hash does not count against allowable inventory and is treated like other infused products. However, he stated that it counts against 70/30. At this point, Mr. Hartman advised that hash is a problematic issue and will be addressed in future rule making. Stay tuned.
6. Does a homebound patient have to assign the MMC as their primary center in order to receive a home delivery?
Answer: No. See #2 above. The sale is to the patient’s primary caregiver, who will deliver the medicine pursuant to authorization by MMED. This means that any homebound patient must assign a primary caregiver.
7. Does hash count against allowable inventory?
Answer: No. See #5 above.
8. Does the sale of trim count against 70/30?
Answer: This is complicated. If the trim is provided to a MIP and the MIP uses the trim to create an infused product, which product is then provided back to the MMC only and not sold to any other MMCs, then it does not count against 70/30. However, if the trim is used by the MIP and the MIP sells the infused products to any MMC other than the MMC that is provided to trim, it counts against the selling MMC’s 70/30.
9. Can employees of a MMJ Vendor (i.e., has a MMED Vendor license) be under 21?
Answer: Not if the employee will be in a restricted access area for any reason.
10. Will the 7/1/12 moratorium be extended?
Answer: Not in Mr. Hartman’s opinion. Mr. Hartman stated that MMED will not request it and the legislature “is in no mood to hear anything else about MMJ” at this point.