Parachute Ends Ban on Recreational Pot Shops

Recreational marijuana businesses are now welcome in a western Colorado town that banned them in 2013. Trustees in the town of Parachute voted 4-2 to remove their ban on recreational marijuana shops, cultivation centers and testing or product manufacturing businesses. Local schools will be getting a percent of the sales tax revenue. The town didn’t set a cap on the number of shops allowed, but set business license fees at $5,000 in the first year and $2,000 for each renewal. Like other communities, trustees decided to limit zoning for these businesses to 500 feet from schools and 150 feet from other pot shops. Craig and Moffat County have moratoriums on recreational marijuana shops, while there are several shops in Routt County, three of which are located within Steamboat city limits.