Marijuana: Denver will hand out retail marijuana business licenses at 8 a.m. today

Get out the cameras: The Denver Department of Excise and Licenses will begin handing out its first retail marijuana businesses licenses at 8 a.m. today. These are for businesses that have already received their state licenses -- Colorado began sending out 348 of those on Monday to applicants in more...

By Patricia Calhoun

December 27, 2013

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Get out the cameras: The Denver Department of Excise and Licenses will begin handing out its first retail marijuana businesses licenses at 8 a.m. today. These are for businesses that have already received their state licenses -- Colorado began sending out 348 of those on Monday to applicants in more than 25 municipalities that are allowing retail marijuana sales -- and have jumped through all the hoops to get their local licenses and appropriate permits. In the case of already-existing dispensaries that want to sell recreational marijuana, that means dividing the retail area from the MMJ area, and creating separate entrances for both.

As of December 23, when the state sent out its first round of licenses, 42 retail marijuana business applicants had completed the City and County of Denver's business licensing process, which means they could receive their city license in time to began operations on January 1. That total includes stores, grow facilities and infused product manufacturing facilities.

All retail marijuana store licenses issued in Denver will be listed on the Excise and Licenses site complete with a map, starting at 5 p.m. today. There are no stores listed there now, but you can check out the page here. It already includes links to hearing dates, documents, other agencies -- and Denver's official marijuana rules page that the city's marketing department rolled out on December 9, and basically welcomes you to marijuana use pagea World of No. (See one of the graphics from that site below.)

At 5 p.m., Excise and Licenses should be telling you where you'll hear "yes" on January 1.

More from Calhoun's Wake-Up Call: "What's in store for Colorado on January 1?"

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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