Ask a Stoner: Why Isn't Marijuana Delivery Fast-Tracked?

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Dear Stoner: Bars couldn’t sell cocktails to go before this, but now they suddenly can. So why can’t we have delivery?
Impatiently Waiting

Dear Waiting: Colorado’s new marijuana delivery law only allows medical sales for the first year, with recreational set to be included in 2021. But even in Colorado, cannabis has nowhere near the role that alcohol does. There’s a lot of local legislation involved with cannabis delivery that booze doesn’t face.

click to enlarge

Unsplash/RoseBox

For pot delivery to be accepted in your town or county, the local government must opt into the new state law. So far, only two towns — Boulder and Superior — have approved allowing medical delivery; several others were considering it before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Cannabis activists and industry representatives alike have been calling on Governor Jared Polis to further loosen medical delivery rules and fast-track recreational delivery during statewide orders to stay home, but at the moment, his administration tells us it is not considering expanding delivery’s current opportunities.

And even if Polis wanted to issue an executive order approving delivery right now, home-rule governments such as Denver’s could overrule state orders if they chose to be party poopers.

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