Glenwood Springs adopts land-use rules to allow natural medicine businesses, sets buffer and permit rules

Glenwood Springs City Council unanimously approved code amendments on March 20 that define and regulate "natural medicine" businesses (including treatment centers, cultivation, manufacturing and testing) following voter-approved Proposition 122 and state regulation under Colorado Senate Bill 23290.

Staff said state law prevents local governments from broadly prohibiting these licensed state uses, but allows regulation of time, place and manner. Planning & Zoning recommended a package that adds a 1,000-foot buffer zone for many natural medicine uses (with certain exceptions), requires treatment centers in residential and mixed-use districts to obtain a special-use permit, and sets treatment-center operating hours at 8 a.m.'10 p.m., mirroring local marijuana operating-hour rules.

Community development director Hannah Klausman told council the commission conducted extended discussion and ultimately voted unanimously on the proposed approach to balance community concerns about proximity to residences with the medical/therapeutic nature of treatment centers. City Attorney Carl (last name recorded in meeting) noted the state'level licensing and the city's authority to apply reasonable conditions on local land use approvals.

What happens next: the ordinance changes will allow licensed treatment centers and the associated industrial uses to pursue local approvals consistent with state licensing; special-use permitting in residential areas allows the commission to evaluate proximity and impacts on a case-by-case basis.