Quote Originally Posted by NewOptionsWelln
This bill, and also Boulder city's proposed rules, effectively break up dispensaries into separate departments, which will cost small to medium size dispensaries/centers a lot more to continue operating (I've heard Under 100 patients=10k, 100-300=12,500, 300+ = $18k, State alone).
New Options Wellness is a good example: we grow and make nearly everything but a few edibles, so we would need to purchase a 1) Center License, a separate 2) Infused Product Mfg License, and yet 3) a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc License FOR EACH Growop location, for EACH, city and state! In our case, we grow a percentage too, but we value our multiple smaller growers who we've helped setup professionally, mainly in homes, correctly with great odor control and everything; they grow only for us and so we can tightly control the quality of the product, genetics, etc - this "Artisan" model works great, and our patients appreciate it and stay with us as proof. We make our own Tincture, CannaCaps, concentrates, etc and rent time at a commercial kitchen which also is used for regular food prep - this isn't toxic like, say, trans-fats, and we learned how to cleanup without a trace, when we were 5, I recall.. Most medibles we purchase from independents. SO, in our case and I'd presume dozens or maybe hundeds of others dispensaries who are also fully-integrated like N.O.W., it will require a separate License fee for each of these departments and each independent supplier even IF they are only growing/mfg for us exclusively - so who do you think will have to cough up any fees they can't afford? Last I heard for our medium size the State was considering a $12,500 License, and Boulder at $5000 - MULTIPLIED BY EACH DEPT, so for in Boulder it will be a minimum $52,500 with but a single growop!! Yikes, this changes the game.. IF we or the growers and mfrs have to purchase Licenses for each location, well you get the picture; these are very abusive fees. Does any other industry have to pay so much, and have separate licenses for each department of their biz? I was a builder and Mfr of custom wood products, but I didn't ever have to pay a separate license fee for building, finishing, installing, and selling the product; they're all part of the same business! IF the state and cities pass these rules it'll likely force a lot of "centers" out, or force them to take on equity partners to survive, or charge fees to independent growers to cover them; certainly someone making small batches of brownies will have a really hard time staying alive. The Walmartization direction this is headed will insure only a few are funneled most of the money, and they'll likely drive growers down and push retail prices up for the end-consumer. We would like to see a provision for smaller growers and/or CG's with maybe up to 20 patients get a full exemption from these onerous fees. We cannot afford an extra $4,000 - 6000+ per month, or even $1000/mo, without cutting out say our advertising budget or an employee, but they NEED to realize that MOST of these fees will get passed on to the customer in some way. Some might be able to afford these kind of fees and I've spoken to a few that flatly do not mind it since it WILL kill most of their competition. I'd like to see many smaller neighborhood dispensaries like mom-n-pop shops everywhere - or used to be everywhere, until the Walmarts and Home Depots came in and forced all the small shops out within about a year. Now we all get in the car and drive to distant centers, rather than walk to a more human-scale experience. It seems nobody wants Walmart in their backyard, but the BigBox's alway win out because they can afford the cost of influence. We have a chance to possibly keep the smaller shops around, but these License fees alone WILL change things - that's a ridiculous tax folks... Add up the costs for your little slice of this pie, and let everyone (who has some influence) know how these proposed License Fees are even WAY more than they first sound. Hammer this point!
Capitalism at its finest.... Love it or leave it I guess. I was never a proponent. I'm no Marxist, but I'm now starting to really see how Capitalism can NOT stand over time....like Marx said. Its just not economical in the long run. I wish I lived in Holland....
Draconian Reviewed by Draconian on . What to do after the passing of HB 1284 this morning? Since the bill just passed is our only hope that the Gunba will shoot it down? Feijao Rating: 5