Colorado Bill Would Allow Online Payment for Cannabis Sales in Licensed Retail Stores

Introduced by Representatives William Lindstedt (D), Said Sharbini (D), and Senator Robert Rodriguez (D), HB23-1279 – which was approved by the Colorado House last month and passed the Senate in May – seeks to change the current law concerning cannabis being sold online (1,2). It has now been sent to Governor Jared Polis (3).

“The bill allows a licensed retail marijuana store to accept payment online for the sale of retail marijuana and retail marijuana products,” the summary of HB23-1279 stated in part (1). “An individual must be physically present on the retail marijuana store's licensed premises to take possession of the purchased retail marijuana or retail marijuana product.” The store must also verify the age of the purchaser and provide digital versions of all product warnings or educational materials that are already required to be posted on the premises (1).

“What the bill mainly aims to do, from my perspective, is reduce cash in the marijuana space, which is something that is exceedingly important to do because when there is a tremendous amount of cash in any industry, it can lead to some troubling outcomes—specifically things like robbery,” Senator Kevin Van Winkle (R) said recently (3). “It sets them up for tremendous amount of potential theft, and other things.”

References

1. https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1279
2. https://www.marijuanamoment.net/colorado-house-approves-bill-to-allow-online-marijuana-sales-to-reduce-cash-at-dispensaries/
3. https://www.marijuanamoment.net/colorado-lawmakers-approve-bills-to-allow-online-marijuana-sales-and-bolster-professional-protections-sending-them-to-governor/