Amendment 64 Task Force Recommendations

Taxing marijuana:

The recommendation has been made to implement a tax on marijuana sales. The rate will be determined by the General Assembly “through consultation with the Department of Revenue, Office of State Planning and Budgeting and Colorado Legislative Council.” If approved, the tax will not take effect until January 1, 2014. It is also recommended that the first $40 million raised annually go to school capital construction.

Allowing marijuana sales to out-of-state residents:

All persons 21 years of age or older, resident or non-resident, should be able to purchase marijuana for personal use. Resident and non-resident are both limited to possessing one ounce of marijuana for personal use. Consumers are also being limited to the reasonable limit of less than one-ounce per-transaction for all purchases. It is being recommended however, that non-residents have more restrictive purchase limits. (Link)

Allowing employers to fire employees for off-the-job marijuana use:

“Amendment 64 maintains the status quo for employers and employees.” (Link) Employers are encouraged to review current drug-free workplace policies in response to the passage of Amendment 64 and decide to maintain, create new or modify existing policies.

Advertising of marijuana:

It is the recommendation of the Task Force that the State and Local governments have a role in establishing “rules for signage, marketing and advertising of marijuana and related products.” (Links) Some of the guidelines for the packaging, signage and marketing includes: prohibit all mass market campaigns that have a high likelihood of reaching minors, allow branding on product packaging, allow only marijuana products and related accessories to be offered in retail marijuana stores, among others. (Link)

New training for law enforcement to detect impaired drivers:

The Task Force recommends that “the General Assembly require Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) training” to be mandatory, as to allow our officers to able to detect impaired driving. The Task Force also encourages local enforcement agencies to have their peace officers trained in ARIDE, to increase and enhance the ability of law enforcement officers to detect impaired driving. (Link)

Revising the Colorado Clean Air Act to include the impact of marijuana smoke:

The Task Force has also recommended the General Assembly enact legislation that would revise the Colorado Clean Air Act to include marijuana smoke. They recommend further this would not allow smoking of marijuana in establishments where tobacco smoking is allowed.

Childproof packaging:

There have been reports from Colorado hospitals that children have accidentally ingested marijuana products, so the Task Force has recommended strict standards for the packaging of marijuana products, to promote the health, safety, and wellbeing of Colorado’s youth. (Link)

Requiring marijuana products to have labels of potency:

The Task Force further recommends to the General Assembly that they should make labeling guidelines concerning the total content of THC per unit of weight, “similar to the proofing of alcohol, namely milligrams of THC divided by total gram weight of the edible product.” (Link) They are also recommended to be labeled with: the license number of the cultivation licensee, the license number of the retail center, an identity statement and standardized graphic symbol, batch #, net weight statement, among others. (Link)