The Denver City Council is considering a proposal that would require marijuana retailers to use only social equity-owned transporters for delivery to customers.
Marijuana delivery has failed to take off in Colorado the way it has in other states such as California.
And in a push to support social equity-owned delivery companies, the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses has proposed to the council that those businesses be granted complete control of the delivery market, the Denver Post reported.
The city already has implemented a three-year moratorium to give social-equity-owned delivery companies a monopoly on the market, until July 2024.
The new proposal would essentially make that permanent.
To date, just 18 marijuana stores out of roughly 200 in Denver have obtained delivery permits to work with the 16 licensed transporters, the Post reported.
As a result, those social equity transport companies are “struggling,” the head of the Excise and Licenses Department said.
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The proposed bill would also:
- Reduce annual license fees for transporter licenses and delivery permits, from $2,000 to just $25.
- Lower annual fees for retail marijuana transport licenses, from $2,500 to $200.
- Reduce medical marijuana transporter annual license fees, from $1,500 to $200.
