Only existing medical-marijuana dispensaries will be able to open recreational pot shops in Denver until 2016, under a plan that received initial approval by the Denver City Council on Monday.
The recreational stores also won't be able to open in new locations. Instead, dispensaries switching to recreational pot shops will have to stay in their existing locations and face an automatic public hearing.
Dispensaries also can become combination medical and recreational stores but will have to put a wall between the two sides of the business and have separate entrances.
The goal is to keep the city from being overrun on Oct. 1 by a flood of applications from newcomers looking to cash in on Colorado's legalization of marijuana use and regulated sales.
Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
