Denver Limits Pot Shops, Giving Dispensaries Permanent Lock

DENVER (AP) — Denver's 421 marijuana businesses now have a permanent lock on the industry.

The Denver Post reports that the City Council voted Monday to make permanent an ordinance grandfathering existing retail shops and grow sites.

The vote means that pot shops in Colorado's largest city must have been licensed before recreational pot was legalized in 2012. Denver's marijuana industry joined with parents' groups and neighborhood groups to push for a permanent extension of the grandfathering requirement, saying the city has enough pot shops and doesn't need more.

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The measure allows pending license applications to go through before the caps are set, meaning the city could see 45 more grow sites or shops.

However, the bill requires reducing grow locations by 15 over time.