Martin Stands Alone

A big crowd turned out for the Oct. 20 City Council meeting. The local news networks were there. Photographers brought their cameras. Reporters had their notebooks. The reason for all this buzz? Pot.

That’s right, marijuana. This was the final reading of an ordinance pertaining to the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries. On the agenda, item number 35 proposed an ordinance to prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries in the city of Greeley.

Proponents on both sides of the topic came to argue their cause in front of the Council, just hoping to sway an opinion or two. Those in favor of adopting the ordinance to prohibit the dispensaries did not see the need for such establishments. Many were not advocates of having businesses set up in the Greeley community for selling marijuana. Others questioned the legitimacy of both the caregivers and the users.

However, the majority of those speaking to Council were against this ordinance, and therefore in favor of the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries. Jeri Shepherd is a supporter of the dispensaries because she said the drug offers legitimate benefits to those who are authorized to use it. Shepherd has a Web site, Sensible Colorado, used to gain support for medical marijuana. The other dispensary advocates agreed with Shepherd and added that allowing dispensaries legitimizes this business. They stressed the revenue for Greeley that sales tax dollars would generate and the ability to control who is using marijuana.

After much public input, the Council discussed the possibilities before voting on the ordinance. Mayor Ed Clark definitively stated that he is against dispensaries and therefore in favor of the ordinance. Councilmember Feldhaus agreed, stating that despite the compelling arguments from the audience, and the compassion he said he feels for the patients, there are just too few regulations in place to safely allow dispensaries. Councilmember Carrol Martin was the only one on the other side of the fence. He argued that dispensaries are the only way to enforce and regulate medical marijuana rules. Martin was unable to convince the others to oppose the ordinance resulting in a 6-1 vote to adopt the ordinance. This means that medical marijuana dispensaries are not allowed within the city of Greeley, but patients still may grow marijuana for their own personal use and continue to use the substance. The community support was there, the Council just wasn’t budging.