Pueblo County establishes zoning regulations for hemp grows
A new industry is expected to set up roots in Pueblo County.
Commissioners established zoning regulations Wednesday, which will allow farmers to grow hemp in areas zoned for agricultural use. Commissioner Sal Pace said Pueblo County is the first county in the state to set zoning rules for hemp production.
Commissioners addressed concerns that hemp grows can damage marijuana grows with cross contamination. The regulations prohibit hemp grows from operating within five miles of a marijuana establishment. There are some exceptions, which include hemp grows that only have female plants.
“It is a tremendous cash crop. We import millions of tons of hemp from Canada every year, and yet, the government wouldn’t let us grow our own,” said Emily Price, who lives in Pueblo County.
“This is a low-water use agricultural crop that can really spawn economic development,” Pace said.
Amendment 64 legalized the growth of hemp in Colorado, but Pace said he doesn’t know of anyone growing it in Pueblo County. Hemp growers register through the Department of Agriculture, not local municipalities.
“Before our rules today, anyone could grow hemp anywhere. What we did was put some restrictions and sideboards in place. And we should have addressed those issues in the right direction for folks who are concerned about cross pollination,” Pace said.
Mike Stetler, who grows marijuana for his store Marisol Therapeutics, is concerned that the hemp grows will damage the millions of dollars he’s invested in the marijuana industry.
“The pollination will ruin our crops,” Stetler said. “I got vents that open on my greenhouses and stuff, and the pollen will travel to them.”
Pace said the five-mile buffer is meant to protect marijuana grows.
No one voiced opposition for the zoning regulations during the hearing. Bart Catena, a Pueblo County resident, praised the commissioners.
“You’re breaking ground, and you’re setting precedent, and I think you’re doing a tremendous due diligence in doing this,” Catena said.
Rick Hooper, general manager of The Spot, a marijuana dispensary in Pueblo West, said there’s room for both industries to operate in the county.
