HB 17-1221

HB 17-1221, also known as the Grey and Black Market Marijuana Enforcement Efforts, is a Colorado law that aims to help local governments cover costs related to enforcing regulations against illegal marijuana cultivation. The bill provides grants to these local governments, giving priority to rural areas, to pay for expenses like law enforcement and prosecution when dealing with unauthorized or illegal marijuana activities. It also sets aside $5.9 million from the state's marijuana tax fund to support this program. Since it has been signed into law, local governments can now apply for grants under these guidelines to help manage and enforce regulations on grey and black market marijuana operations in their areas.

Official Summary

Committee on Cost-benefit Analysis of Legalized Marijuana in Colorado. The state constitution grants a person the authority to assist another person in cultivating medical and recreational marijuana plants. The bill states that a person is not in compliance with the authority to assist another individual and is subject to marijuana cultivation criminal offenses and penalties if the person possesses any marijuana plant that he or she is growing on behalf of another individual, unless he or she is the primary caregiver for the individual and is in compliance with the requirements of section 25-1.5-106. The bill creates the gray and black market marijuana enforcement grant program (grant program) in the division of local government in the department of local affairs (division). The grant program awards grants to local governments to reimburse the local governments, in part or in full, for law enforcement and prosecution costs associated with gray and black marijuana markets. A rural local government has priority in receiving grants. The general assembly may appropriate money from the marijuana tax cash fund or the proposition AA refund account to the division for the grant program. The bill appropriates $5,945,392 from the marijuana tax cash fund to the division to fund the grant program. The division shall adopt policies and procedures for the administration of the grant program, including rules related to the application process and the grant award criteria. The division shall include information regarding the effectiveness of the grant program in its SMART presentation beginning in November 2019. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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