NEWSRELEASE

ForImmediateRelease
Contact:DariaSerna DORCommunicationsDirector PhoneNumber:3038665303 JuliePostlethwait MarijuanaEnforcementDivisionPIO PhoneNumber:3032052360

Emergency Rules Adopted for Colorado Retail Marijuana Sales

July 1, 2013 Denver, CO. The Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) has adopted emergency rules for the regulation of the states Retail Marijuana Industry by the Departments Marijuana Enforcement Division. The adoption of these emergency rules ensured that the Department met a July 1st deadline mandated by state statute and constitutional amendment. Upon the passage of Amendment 64 in November 2012, Colorado Governor Hickenlooper established a task force that brought together a wide variety of stakeholders to provide recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, and Attorney General regarding implementation of the Amendment. These recommendations were the groundwork used by the Joint Select Committee of the legislature, made up of members from both houses of the General Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives), to generate initial draft legislation, after which three separate bills were introduced and passed via the legislative process. Through each step of the process decision makers heard extensive testimony from interested parties and this input was used to develop the emergency rules. These emergency rules, which expire within 120 days of adoption, will provide the foundation upon which the formal rulemaking process will begin. This will allow the time necessary to produce well vetted final rules prior to any Retail Marijuana businesses opening for operation on January 1, 2014. I am so pleased with the amount of collaboration between the legislature, stakeholders, and constituents that has brought us to this point, said Barb Brohl, Executive Director of the Department of Revenue and State Licensing Authority, This open exchange of information allowed DOR staff and legal counsel the tools necessary to formulate emergency rules of a much higher quality than is normally possible when state agencies begin the formal rulemaking process. Regulation of the Retail Marijuana industry is a matter of utmost public concern and having the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with a variety of stakeholders has proven invaluable. We look forward to continuing our collaborative approach and maintaining the instrumental role public involvement has played. Our work is not done and we will continue to move forward and provide our state with a well regulated industry that maintains a clear focus on public safety. While stakeholder input will continue to play a significant role in the process, anyone unable to participate earlier in the process will have the opportunity to provide input in the formal Public Comment phase of the process via written comment, public testimony or both. Additional information will be made available at www.colorado.gov/revenue/amendment64.
### ColoradoDepartmentofRevenue1375ShermanStreetDenver,CO80261www.Colorado.gov/revenue