For Immediate Release: Sept. 29, 2009

Medical cannabis businesses call for self-regulation

{Boulder, CO} -- The Boulder County District Attorney's office will attend a public meeting of a group of cannabis businesses to discuss self-regulation and developing standards in the medical cannabis industry. The meeting will take place:

Wednesday (9/30)
VFW Meeting Hall
206 S. Main Street
Longmont, CO
Time: 7:30 pm
Open to anyone concerned about regulation in the medical cannabis industry.

Larry Hill, owner of the Apothecary, a medical cannabis dispensary in Longmont, organized the Wednesday meeting. He believes medical cannabis self-regulation is the best way to ensure that patients have safe, consistent, access to quality, affordable medicine. "Our standards tend to be higher than government standards anyway," he says. "Industry self-regulation will ensure the highest standards of care, which is what our patients need and deserve. Physicians regulate themselves, and medical cannabis businesses should do the same."

On Monday, another group of cannabis businesses met in Denver to discuss the same issue. The Denver group, organized by medical cannabis attorney Rob Corry, is forming a voluntary membership-based organization whose goal will be to clarify some of the issues with medical cannabis that have not been addressed by state law and to develop standards for operating a medical cannabis business. Rob Corry will attend the Boulder County meeting on Wednesday to share the ideas that came out of his group.

"There are a lot of positive things that we can do as a business organization to help patients," says Rob Corry. "We need to stand up and take a leadership role to help ensure that patients have safe access for their medicine."

In August, the Cannabis Therapy Institute formed the Medical Cannabis Policy Group to develop model legislation that clarifies issues regarding medical cannabis businesses, including business models, zoning issues, taxation, patient rights, and economic development potential.
http://www.cannabistherapyinstitute.com/news/policygroup/

"There is no other medicine that treats as many conditions as effectively and safely as cannabis does. The communities that encourage research and development of cannabis medicines will benefit the most from this economic boom," says Laura Kriho, education director for the Cannabis Therapy Institute. "If Boulder County were to designate a Cannabis Research Park zoning district and encourage caregivers to develop the industry in a way that provides 100% patient security and satisfaction, the economic potential would be staggering."

Jason Lauve, a cannabis medical patient who was recently acquitted by a Boulder County jury of possessing more than 2 pounds of medical cannabis, will also speak at the meeting.
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In a related meeting, Boulder DA Stan Garnett will make a presentation to the Boulder County commissioners about current medical marijuana law and regulations.
When: 2 p.m. Tuesday (9/29)
Where: Boulder County Courthouse's third-floor hearing room, 1325 Pearl
St., Boulder
Further information: While the meeting is open to the public, no testimony
will be taken.
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