Rep.-elect Dan Nordberg, R-Colorado Springs

Amendment 64 legalized both possession and sales of recreational marijuana, and in the coming legislative session, the state must begin enacting regulations for would-be sales people. And Rep.-elect Dan Nordberg, R-Colorado Springs, is one of 24 people assigned to a state task force that will look at issues surrounding the industry and possible regulations.

Nordberg, a former staffer for Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn, was appointed by the incoming state House Minority Leader, Rep. Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs. Nordberg will be the only legislator from Colorado Springs on the task force.

Senate President John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, appointed Sen. Cheri Jahn, a Democrat from Wheat Ridge. Senate Minority Leader Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, appointed Sen.-elect Vicki Marble, from Larimer County. And Speaker of the House appointed Rep. Dan Pabon, a Denver Democrat.

The rest of the task force is comprised of different stakeholders, including representatives from the medical marijuana industry, Colorado Counties Inc., the Colorado Commission on Criminal & Juvenile Justice, and many more.

Those wanting to sell recreational marijuana will be able to start applying for business licenses in January 2014, and the General Assembly has to prepare for that. The task force was created by Gov. John Hickenlooper, in an executive order he signed on Monday, the same day he signed Amendment 64 into the state Constitution.

The order says that the task force’s aim is to “provide for the responsible development of the new marijuana laws,” and said the task will be used to “coordinate and create a regulatory structure that promotes the health and safety of the people of Colorado.”

Check out Hickenlooper’s announcement, and the full list of task force members here.

All of the task force’s meetings will be open to the public, and residents are encouraged to contribute their thoughts. The task force’s first meeting will be Dec. 17, in Golden. It will be held at the Department of Revenue Gaming Conference room, at 17301 W. Colfax.

The full task force:

• Rep. Dan Pabon, appointed by the incoming Speaker of the House;
• Sen. Cheri Jahn, appointed by the incoming President of the Senate;
• Rep.-elect Dan Nordberg, appointed by the incoming House Minority Leader;
• Sen.-elect Vicki Marble, appointed by the incoming Senate Minority Leader;
• David Blake, representing the Colorado Attorney General;
• Kevin Bommer, representing the Colorado Municipal League;
• Eric Bergman, representing Colorado Counties Inc.;
• Chris Urbina, the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment;
• James Davis, the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety;
• John Salazar, the Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture;
• Ron Kammerzell, the Senior Director responsible for the Colorado Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division;
• Christian Sederberg, representing the campaign to pass Amendment 64;
• Meg Sanders, representing the medical marijuana dispensary and cultivation industry;
• Craig Small, representing marijuana consumers;
• Sam Kamin, a person with expertise in legal issues related to the legalization of marijuana;
• Dr. Christian Thurstone, a person with expertise in the treatment of marijuana addiction;
• Charles Garcia, representing the Colorado Commission on Criminal & Juvenile Justice;
• Larry Abrahamson, representing the Colorado District Attorney’s Council;
• Brian Connors, representing the Colorado State Public Defender;
• Daniel Zook, an at-large member from outside of the Denver area;
• Tamra Ward, representing the interests of employers; and
• Mike Cerbo, representing the interests of employees.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.