It’s official: cannabis delivery is coming to Aurora, Colorado. Although the state has had legal cannabis access for many years now, the city of Aurora only recently approved cannabis delivery for 2021 in a 7-3 vote by the Aurora City Council. Under the new ruling, licensed dispensaries can deliver cannabis within city limits between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Only an ounce at a time can be delivered, much like the purchasing rules that already exist in the state. Delivery will further be limited to eight grams of concentrate and 80 ten-milligram servings of THC edibles. For the first three years of delivery, only social equity applicants disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs will be considered to deliver. “What we’re doing is righting the wrong of a market that’s been exclusive and unjust,” said Councilmember Alison Coombs, when asked about the decision.
Of course, there was some pushback by certain members of the city council, such as Marsha Berzins, who claimed that this is “a slap in the face” to those who may not be social equity, but still want to participate. Seven of the council members voted in favor of cannabis delivery, while Berzins, Dave Gruber and Francoise Bergan stood against the measure.
Additionally, Aurora is making sure that delivery is safe. Even though the city is trying to prioritize those who were wrongly impacted by the War on Drugs, no applicants are allowed if they have received felonies over the last three years.
The timing is right, since Aurora has a large pool of social equity applicants looking to get involved in the industry, and the pandemic has made cannabis delivery a very lucrative business. “We really have an opportunity to offer this to our residents during a time when we want the contactless options for purchasing items and the additional revenue that our city will have,” Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Johnston said.
