No new marijuana shops allowed to open in Pueblo County until 2017

No more marijuana stores will be allowed to open in Pueblo County for almost two years.

Pueblo County commissioners placed a moratorium on medical and retail stores on Monday. The announcement comes one week after new figures released by the county clerk’s office indicated that more than $16 million worth of marijuana was sold in Pueblo County last year. The county collects a 17.4 percent tax from the sales.

But Commissioner Sal Pace said the moratorium was necessary.

“We’ve heard from folks in the community who say we have enough storefronts,” Pace said.

The county won’t accept new applications for marijuana stores until January 2017, but that ban does not include grow operations.

“I think we need to do it in order to ensure that A: We’re not too saturated and B: That we’re not setting up a situation where a lot of folks are going to fail,” Pace said.

But Paula McPheeters, who’s become the face of the anti-marijuana movement at commissioner’s meetings, said the decision comes one year too late.

“It doesn’t change the fact that we are inundated with retail, medical and grows as it stands,” McPheeters said.

On Monday, commissioners approved four more marijuana licenses, including three grows. One of the grows is near the former Sports Garden softball complex at 4116 Nature Center Road, just west of the city limits.

“The concern for me now is that all of our farmland and surrounding areas are going to be turned into grow operations,” McPheeters said.

About six applications have already been submitted. Pace said those applications will be grandfathered in and will be voted on by the newly appointed Marijuana and Licensing Board.

Pace said if a retail marijuana store owner wanted to apply for a medical license, or vice versa, the applicant would be able to do so. The moratorium prevents new stores from opening.