Pot-license “points” systems in Aurora, Thornton invite legal scrutiny
Cities and towns in Colorado have devised all sorts of ways to decide how many pot shops can open and where, but two communities using a points-based system to evaluate and select prospective recreational marijuana businesses — Aurora and Thornton — are running into legal hot water.
Aurora is facing a lawsuit alleging that it didn’t follow its own rules for ranking pot shop applicants for the two dozen licenses it issued. Thornton, which has four available licenses for recreational marijuana retailers, could get hit with a similar challenge in the coming weeks.
The two cities use a points-based system as part of their marijuana regulations. Other communities use random lottery drawings (Adams County), establish hard numerical caps on a first-come-first-served basis (Wheat Ridge) or put in place buffer zones (Louisville) to manage the number and location of shops.
Rocky Road dispensary is in the Aurora Hemp Marketplace, November 03, 2016. Aurora Hemp Marketplace, an older strip mall, got a new lease on life as a pot-oriented shopping center. The marketplace is now at 95 percent, with a dispensary, head shop, hydroponics store and more. RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Rocky Road dispensary is in the Aurora Hemp Marketplace, November 03, 2016. Aurora Hemp Marketplace, an older strip mall, got a new lease on life as a pot-oriented shopping center. The marketplace is now at 95 percent, with a dispensary, head shop, hydroponics store and more. RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
