Colorado Medical Marijuana Card Legislation
In the beginning of 2000, voters approved the Initiative 20 which eventually became Amendment 20 and became part of Colorado’s constitution as article XVIII, section 14. This legalized medical marijuana in Colorado via the use of a medical marijuana card system for qualified patients and caregivers. After the establishment of the medical cannabis card system in Colorado, the state’s medical and recreation laws were combined into the Colorado Revised Statues (CRS).
In 2012 the Colorado Marijuana Legalization Amendment, known as amendment 64, was approved. Amendment 64 legalized all recreational cannabis for adults 21 or older, while also creating marijuana sales and cultivation taxes. This law also became part of the Colorado Constitution as article XVIII, section 16.
With the growing recreational and medical marijuana industry in Colorado, the state passed HB 1230 in 2019. HB 1230 created business licenses for certain marijuana-related businesses outside of dispensaries such as; marijuana lounges and tasting rooms, which allowed consumers to use marijuana products and to be purchased in other locations outside of a medical marijuana dispensary.
To regulate and oversee Colorado’s recreation and medical marijuana industries and laws, the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) was established. The CDOR oversees all licensing for medical marijuana’s production, distribution, testing, and sales while the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry is regulated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
Colorado Medical Marijuana Card, Cultivation, & Possession Laws
Colorado has legalized recreational adult-use and medical marijuana with medical marijuana cards, but there are legal limits to how much cannabis that a consumer may possess. Adults 21 or older may possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana or cannabis-infused products, and 8 grams of cannabis concentrates. Qualifying Colorado medical marijuana patients and their caregivers may possess up to 2 ounces of dry cannabis flowers.
Adults and qualifying patients with a medical marijuana card may grow or possess a maximum of six marijuana plants, with three plants in the flowering stage, with a total of 12 marijuana plants on a residential property. Caregivers must also provide the location of any cannabis cultivation site and the amount for each medical marijuana patient. Since some patients may qualify for more plants than others, those numbers must be registered with CDOR. Additionally, laws regarding marijuana cultivation in Colorado vary by each city and county.
Get started with your Colorado medical marijuana card today!