Colorado agriculture bill advances with no pot ban

Marijuana growers in Colorado have avoided being singled out in an agriculture tax measure that advanced Thursday.

The bill codifies tax practices for greenhouses and nurseries, which are considered agricultural property and not commercial property in most cases. That makes them eligible for lower property taxes.

The sponsor of the greenhouse bill proposed an amendment to say marijuana growing sites can’t qualify. But a Democratic Senate committee rejected the amendment last week.

The discrepancy left some confusion about the fate of the overall tax measure. Some argued that it was not the right place to debate agriculture tax breaks for pot farmers.

Without the marijuana amendment, the Senate Finance Committee approved the bill 5-0. It awaits a vote by the full Senate.