There are seven in all. They are next to a burger place, across the street from the taco shop, cattycorner to the car service center and right next door to the bank. But they will soon all have to close. Longmont has ordered all medical marijuana centers to close after the city’s ban goes into effect on July 1.
Allyson Feiler owns Nature’s Medicine where she sells medical marijuana in Longmont.
“We’re just happy to be here, happy to be doing this, and really helping people,” she said.
Feiler says she received her masters from the University of Florida a few years ago. She received her lesson from the school of hard knocks only recently.
“It’s really sad that we’ll be closing down here,” she said.
“We expect them to follow the law close up shop, it will be that simple,” Rigo Leal, Longmont spokesperson, said.
Consider the cease and desist letter that showed up at the doors of Longmont’s seven medical marijuana centers more of a reminder than a threat. The city council unanimously passed the ban back in May. It’s just that the ban finally goes into effect on Friday.
“There’s a $500 per day fine and up to 90 days in jail per day so it’s a hefty fine – good motivation for those folks to get out of business,” Leal said.
“I won’t be doing that, I’m not looking to jail anytime soon,” Feiler said.
Feiler doesn’t expect any of her fellow medical marijuana centers to take that risk either. She’s not happy and says the city is losing a revenue producer.
“The city council did take the revenue aspect into the consideration and I think the council is doing what’s best for the community and maybe not what’s necessarily best for the bottom line,” Leal said.
Feiler’s new location is still within sight of Longs Peak, but outside the city limits.
There was an effort in Longmont to try to gather signatures to put a question on the November ballot which could have allowed dispensaries to return, but it does not appear the issue got enough signatures.
Several other Colorado communities, including Aurora, Broomfield and Castle Rock, have bans on medical marijuana centers.
Tags: medical marijuana