Colorado is cutting its medical marijuana enforcement staff by more than half because the state isn’t collecting enough licensing fees to pay for them.
The Department of Revenue says that 20 of 37 staffers at its Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division will be reassigned to other jobs within the department starting Wednesday. The Division licenses and regulates medical marijuana businesses such as dispensaries and marijuana growers.
Revenue spokesman Mark Couch says the MMED is cash-funded, which means that when fees stop coming in, the division has to whittle staff. The MMED was budgeted for $5.7 million this fiscal year. It wasn’t immediately clear how much the division has collected in licensing fees.
State marijuana licensing fees range from $2,750 to $14,000, depending on the type and size of business.
– Original article from Coloradoan.
