Medical marijuana application deadline: Dispensary owners are (literally) off to the races

Dispensary owners are scrambling as another tight deadline approaches: Applications for "medical marijuana centers," optional grow facilities and marijuana-infused product manufacturers -- along with fees from $1,250 to $18,000 -- need to be submitted to the state's new Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division by August 1. Which, adding to the confusion,...

By Joel Warner

July 27, 2010

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Dispensary owners are scrambling as another tight deadline approaches: Applications for "medical marijuana centers," optional grow facilities and marijuana-infused product manufacturers -- along with fees from $1,250 to $18,000 -- need to be submitted to the state's new Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division by August 1. Which, adding to the confusion, falls on a Sunday -- this Sunday, to be exact.

Never fear, says Department of Revenue spokesman Mark Couch: Workers will be taking applications both Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division's new headquarters, located at the Mile High Greyhound Park Stadium, 6200 Dahlia Street in Commerce City!

Let the "gambling in the medical marijuana industry" jokes commence.

Applicants can also mail in their applications as long as they're postmarked by August 1, or drop it off today through Friday at the Department of Revenue's enforcement headquarters at 1881 Pierce Street in Lakewood, says Couch.

But doesn't dropping it off at the race track sound like more fun? While there won't be live racing at the track this weekend, Couch reports that there should be simulcast betting. So why not hand in your MMJ paperwork, then grab a beer and throw down some bets.

Who knows: You may just win back all that dough you just forked over to the state.

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Joel Warner is a former staff writer for Westword and International Business Times. He's also written for WIRED, Men's Journal, Men's Health, Bloomberg Businessweek, Popular Science, Slate, Grantland and many other publications. He's co-author of the 2014 book The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny, published by Simon & Schuster.

Contact: Joel Warner