No vote on Colorado marijuana measure

DENVER, March 5 (UPI) -- Colorado lawmakers said they put off a vote on a bill that would require medical-marijuana dispensaries to get licenses from local and state officials.

The Denver Post said Friday the decision to put off a vote on the measure until a later date came amid a flurry of opposition from marijuana activists Thursday.

If House Bill 1284 is passed, medical-marijuana dispensaries would be required to obtain a license from local government officials as well as from state officials.

The bill also requires marijuana- growing facilities and marijuana product-makers to obtain licenses. A rewrite of the bill lessened the advertising restrictions applied to medical-marijuana dispensaries, which will be allowed to be run as for-profit companies, the newspaper reported.

Marijuana activists argue the bill could significantly limit how accessible medical marijuana will be for qualified patients, the Post said.

On the other side of the debate are law enforcement groups that insist a legal marijuana dispensary system would only be met with fraud, while also perpetuating the illegal marijuana market in the state.