Patients Can Enjoy Medical Marijuana Delivery in Colorado Starting in 2020

Doorstep medical marijuana delivery service will soon be a reality for thousands of medical marijuana patients in the state of Colorado. Proponents are excited about House Bill 1234 taking effect, but the bill was not passed without controversy. Lawmakers in the state Senate passed the measure on May 1, 2019, just before the session closed on May 3rd, but Governor Jared Polis still needs to sign it. If signed into law, medical marijuana delivery could start by the beginning of 2020 and recreational marijuana users can look forward to deliveries in 2021. Delivery by third-party drivers and online ordering will not be available during the first year, but both could begin in 2021. Dispensary locations and hours of operation could soon become irrelevant, which has some cannabis business owners concerned. By eliminating the retail experience and limiting dispensary owners’ contact with the people using their products, many owners fear that dispensaries may soon become no more than fulfillment centers, leaving open the possibility of an Amazon-style industry takeover.

Cities and counties have the authority to ban medical marijuana delivery within their borders, but some dispensary owners are worried that the investments made into their communities by building brick and mortar stores in strategic locations will be compromised with the advent of online ordering and curbside delivery. They argue that if patients can order their medical marijuana online from the comfort of their homes and receive delivery without ever stepping foot inside a dispensary, the relationships dispensary owners and employees have taken pains to develop with their patients will no longer be crucial to product sales, and they may be forced to lay off employees. However, other small cannabis business owners hold that delivery by third party driving services should be made available immediately, given the fact that many small dispensaries can’t afford to hire their own delivery drivers.

Delivery service of medical marijuana would be restricted to residential addresses only, and proponents of the bill believe illegal delivery services would be curtailed as a result. Those in favor of medical marijuana delivery point out the ease of access home delivery will offer, especially to those patients who are unable to travel to a brick and mortar location due to mobility or transportation challenges. Experts believe the ease of access offered by delivery services will help curb illegal marijuana use and point out that the need for delivery drivers creates a new micro industry which could help balance out the potential loss of jobs for employees at local dispensaries.

The state Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) will create a delivery licensing program for both dispensaries and those who transport cannabis products to patients once a regulatory system is in place to cover training, safety provisions, recordkeeping, tracking, and setting limits on the amounts and types of deliverable marijuana products.

If you have a medical need or would like to meet with one of our MMJ doctors in Colorado Springs or Pueblo to discuss possible treatment and receive recommendations on which medical marijuana treatment may be best for you, call us at Medical Alternatives Clinic in Colorado Springs today at (719) 246-0393, or email us at hello3@medicalalternativesclinics.com with your questions, or to request an appointment. We are here to assist you in any way we can and will provide you with a copy of any paperwork necessary for your records.