The Canary’s Song in Nederland appears on track to become the first recreational marijuana store in Boulder County.
If the Nederland Board of Trustees approves the dispensary’s license application at its Tuesday night meeting, the store could begin selling pot to retail customers 21 and over as early as Wednesday, though a manager said the shop’s owners are shooting for Feb. 1.
Manager Katie Tayloe said the dispensary at 1 W. First St., which opened last March, is holding onto its medical marijuana license and will build a physical separation so it can serve customers under 21 years of age who have medical cards.
She said she’s excited about opening to the recreational market.
“We’re hoping that it really increases the business because we do get a ton of tourists and just customers in general coming in and asking about it,” Tayloe said.
The Canary’s Song is the only medical marijuana business in Boulder County to already have received its state license to sell recreational marijuana.
Businesses need both state and local licenses to operate legally.
Karing Kind, located off of Foothills Highway in an unincorporated area a mile north of Boulder, could be close on the heels of the Canary’s Song.
Owner Dylan Donaldson said he could have his county license by the end of January and his state license in mid-February.
Liz Donaghey, of Boulder County’s Marijuana Licensing Authority, said that in addition to Karing Kind, the county expects to issue recreational licenses to The Growing Kitchen for its grow and infused-product manufacturing facility. Boulder County has not received any other retail license requests, she said.
Slow arrival of retail pot
Boulder-area marijuana businesses have seen their entry into the recreational market delayed because Boulder and Louisville, the only other municipalities currently allowing conversions, didn’t accept applications during the first round of state licensing in the fall.
Boulder started accepting applications for conversion Jan. 2 and will take applications for co-location — with medical and recreational businesses operating on the same premises — beginning Tuesday.
Louisville’s two existing dispensaries can apply for recreational licenses starting Tuesday.
However, the state won’t accept retail marijuana license applications from businesses in municipalities that aren’t accepting applications, and the state by law cannot issue licenses in less than 45 days.
Louisville licensing officials said dispensaries there likely won’t be on the agenda until the Feb. 24 meeting of the licensing authority, which is the same as the liquor board.
Boulder issued its first conversion license Friday to Breckenridge Organic Therapy, which has its grow operation in Boulder and its store in the mountain town. The business expects to get its state license in late February.
Boulder-based attorney Jeff Gard, who represents many marijuana businesses, said the process went very smoothly, and he hopes it indicates relations between the city and the industry will be productive.
Boulder Tax and Licensing Manager Mishawn Cook said she has conversion interviews scheduled this week with Boulder Rx, Terrapin Care Station and Options Medical Center.
State licenses pending
Julie Postlethwait, a spokeswoman for Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division, said the state currently has four pending applications for retail stores in Boulder County. Her records did not distinguish between the city of Boulder and unincorporated areas.
The state also has seven pending cultivation licenses and three pending infused-product manufacturing licenses.
One of the cultivation licenses and one of the infused-product licenses could be issued as early as Jan. 27, but the state does not expect to issue any retail licenses in Boulder County this month, based on the application dates.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Erica Meltzer at 303-473-1355, meltzere@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/meltzere.
