This bill supports social equity marijuana license holders by allowing them to deliver marijuana to Denver hotels and to organize or participate in regulated cannabis special events.
Hotel Delivery Provision
Who may deliver: Social equity license holders with:
Medical or retail marijuana delivery permit
Medical or retail marijuana transporter license
Where allowed:
Hotels in Denver that are not used as private residences
Includes short-term rentals (30 days or less)
Requirements:
The hotel must:
Be registered with Denver to accept marijuana deliveries
Be located in a jurisdiction that allows marijuana delivery
Appear in an official registry managed by the state and Denver
No deliveries to locations that serve alcohol
All actions must comply with state law and regulations
Special Event Permits
Who qualifies:
Social equity license holders with a marijuana hospitality license
Retail marijuana sellers may partner with qualified licensees
Permit details:
Valid for a specific location and dates (7 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day)
Limit of 15 permit days per licensee per year
Fees may be set to cover regulatory costs
Denial grounds:
Event harms public welfare
Poor track record of compliance
Inappropriate location
Notification and Protest:
10-day public posting required at event site
Public may file protest within 10 days
Hearings required for denials
Decisions must be issued within 90 days
Violations and Enforcement
The responsible licensee is liable for violations
If unclear who is responsible, each listed licensee can be fined equally (max $25 each or $200 total)
Joint fines do not trigger license revocation
Overall Impact HB25-1331 gives social equity licensees access to the hotel delivery market and public event hosting, promoting inclusivity and innovation in Colorado’s cannabis industry. It also provides state and local authorities tools to ensure safety, transparency, and public accountability.
Summary
The bill authorizes a social equity license holder to deliver
regulated marijuana to a hotel located within the city and county of Denver if the license holder has:
•
A medical marijuana delivery permit;
•
A medical marijuana transporter license;
•
A retail marijuana delivery permit; or •
A retail marijuana transporter license.
In order for marijuana to be delivered, the following requirements
must be satisfied:
•
The hotel must be registered with the city and county of Denver to receive deliveries;
•
The local jurisdiction must have authorized the delivery of marijuana in accordance with current law;
•
The hotel must have authorized the delivery of marijuana to its premises;
•
The social equity license holder must not deliver to premises licensed to serve alcohol; and
•
The social equity license holder must comply with marijuana law.
The state licensing authority, in coordination with the city and
county of Denver, must create a registry of hotels that have authorized the delivery of marijuana to their premises. The state licensing authority may adopt rules necessary for the secure storage and management of deliveries.
The bill authorizes special event permits for the holder of a social
equity license and a marijuana hospitality business license. Other retail license holders may partner with a qualified license holder to hold a special event.
The state licensing authority or a local licensing authority may set
special event permit fees in an amount that offsets the direct and indirect cost to the state or local licensing authority of implementing the bill.
The marijuana enforcement division (division) or a local licensing
authority may deny the issuance of a special event permit upon the grounds that the issuance would be injurious to the public welfare because of the nature of the special event, its location within the community, or the failure of the applicant in a past special event to conduct the event in compliance with applicable laws. Public notice of the proposed permit and the procedures for protesting issuance of the permit must be posted at the proposed location for at least 10 days.
The state licensing authority or a local licensing authority is
required to adopt appropriate rules, ordinances, or resolutions for applying for a special event permit and for protesting an application for a special event permit. If an applicant is denied, a hearing must be set. The application must be approved or denied within 90 days after the application is filed. The permit must specify the location and the time when it is valid. A license holder may be issued a permit for no more than 15 days a year.
If a violation occurs during a special event and the responsible
license holder cannot be identified, the division may send written notice to every license holder identified on the relevant permit applications and may fine each the same dollar amount, not to exceed $25 per license holder or $200 in the aggregate. A joint fine does not apply to the revocation of a license.
