Colo. Set to Regulate Medical Marijuana from ’Seed to Sale’

The head of Colorado’s medical-marijuana enforcement effort promises a comprehensive plan that other states could adopt as a model, the Washington Post reported July 25.

“We plan to track the entire commodity from seed to sale,” said Matt Cook, senior director of enforcement at the Colorado Department of Revenue. “We will use a Web-based, 24-7 video surveillance system, and we will see virtually everything from the time a seed goes into the ground to the time the plants are harvested, cultivated, processed, packaged, stored.”

Colorado’s 2007 medical-marijuana law resulted in 1,100 dispensaries operating statewide and alarmed policymakers calling for the state to regain control on the program. New outlets have been barred from opening, and existing dispensaries will need to apply for licenses by Aug. 1.

Individuals with felony records will be prohibited from getting licenses, and the application calls for a detailed personal and professional history. Dispensaries will also have to pay thousands of dollars in licensing fees.

“I didn’t find tough regulatory schemes out in any of the other states,” Cook said. “The numbers of dispensaries they have are very limited. It is the most intensive period of work I have had at any point in my career.”