Dramatic Day in Denver Ends with Good News for Cannabis Industry

Cannabis Mar 24, 2020 Denver, CO

By: Nabil Rodriguez, Esq.

Mayor Michael Hancock today announced a “Stay-At-Home” Order (the “Order”) requiring all individuals in the City and County of Denver to shelter in place and stay at home, as the confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to climb across the U.S. The Order initially excluded cannabis businesses and liquor stores from the “Essential Businesses” list, but that was reversed only three hours later after crowds inundated local liquor stores and dispensaries in panicked response.

Effective Tuesday March 24, 2020, at 5:00 P.M., the Order prohibits “[a]ll public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a single household or living unit…” The Order additionally requires all businesses to cease activities at facilities located within Denver, except “Minimum Basic Operations.” Similar to our recent discussion of the Shelter In Place Order in San Francisco (see here), the order does create an exception for certain “Essential Businesses” to continue operations.

The order defines “Essential Businesses” as healthcare operations, essential government functions, grocery stores, businesses that provide shelter and social services, media services, gas stations, financial institutions, and several others. For a full list, please see here for the original signed Order.

Pursuant to the original Order, medical marijuana businesses were deemed essential, but adult-use recreational marijuana businesses were explicitly left out. As of this afternoon, however, the Mayor’s Office website has indicated that the Order has been updated with the following changes:

All marijuana stores with extreme physical distancing in place will be exempt
Liquor stores with extreme physical distancing in place will be exempt
All construction operations and projects will be exempt

This Order from Mayor Hancock follows a recent Executive Order issued by Colorado Governor Jared Polis ordering Colorado employers to reduce in-person workforces by at least 50% due to the presence of COVID-19 in the state. The Denver Order re-emphasizes the health guidelines issued by the World Health Organization instructing individuals to limit interaction with others to slow down the spread of the virus and remains effective through April 10, 2020, unless extended, rescinded, or otherwise amended by the Executive Director of the Department of Public Health.

During his press conference discussing the Order, Mayor Hancock emphasized that because the nation does not have sufficient testing available to implement a nationwide “test and isolate” strategy in place, local governments, often Governors and Mayors, are left contemplating these extreme shelter orders. As the most densely populated City and County in the state, the Mayor felt it was necessary for Denver to take the additional steps outlined in the Order to protect the public health and safety of Coloradans.

With regulatory changes happening daily (in this case hourly) in response to a global health crisis, staying on top of these developments affecting the current regulatory landscape has become more critical than ever. Please, if you have any questions with regard to adapting your business practices to compliance through this pandemic, contact our Cannabis Law Group.

About Greenspoon Marder

Greenspoon Marder is a national full-service business law firm with over 200 attorneys and offices across the United States. We are ranked among American Lawyer’s Am Law 200, as one of the top law firms in the U.S. since 2015. Our firm was founded with the goal of providing the highest quality legal services at the highest value for our clients. Each of our clients is unique and so are their legal needs. We believe no one size fits all for professional services. Our lawyers offer flexible and creative solutions to meet our clients’ respective needs. Our mission is to understand the challenges our clients face, build collaborative relationships and craft solutions with a focus on strategic goals.

MEDIA CONTACT
Natalie Villanueva, Director of Marketing
954.333.4308 | natalie.villanueva@gmlaw.com

This Greenspoon Marder LLP Client Alert is issued for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed or used as general legal advice nor a solicitation of any type. Please contact the author(s) or your Greenspoon Marder LLP contact if you have any questions regarding the currency of this information. The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision. Before you decide, ask for written information about the lawyer’s legal qualifications and experience.

Next Previous

News

Dramatic Day in Denver Ends with Good News for Cannabis Industry

Share

Subscribe for
News & Events

News & Events

News & Events

News

Dramatic Day in Denver Ends with Good News for Cannabis Industry

Share

Subscribe for News & Events

News & Events

News & Events

Subscribe for
News & Events