Durango, Colorado to Measure Cannabis Buffer Zones

The city council in Durango, Colorado unanimously voted to uphold the current buffer zones they have in place for cannabis businesses, which are currently based on the expression “as the crow flies.”

According to the Durango Herald, if a change had been approved, it would have opened up cannabis regulations to allow consideration of the most direct pedestrian route to and from shops. All businesses in Durango have to be at least 250 feet away from parks with public playgrounds and 1,000 feet away from schools, overnight treatment centers and overnight childcare centers.

The city council claimed that they did not support the change because it would have been difficult to uphold, and because they claim that cannabis businesses can still open up in the small city. Two new dispensaries, Animas Herbal Wellness Center and Durango 9 Depot, just opened up in town regardless of the lack of changed buffer zones.

“There’s still opportunity to find a location in this town if you want to,” Councilor Dean Brookie told the Durango Herald regarding the lack of changed regulations.

However, many feel that this regulation will have a negative impact on the industry, since it will be more difficult to open shops based on the current restrictions. Many local residents felt that having a denser concentration of dispensaries within Durango would send a message to young people about cannabis being OK for consumption.

“I do not want to be known as the marijuana mecca of Southwest Colorado,” Karen Rowa, a local resident, said when giving her testimony before city council.

While this is a disappointing decision for cannabis expansion, this small Colorado city is still ahead of many more rural areas when it comes to allowances for dispensaries and legal cannabis. For now, the concept of expanding allowed areas in Durango will go to the “crows.”