Pueblo County cannabis cultivators are expressing their concerns over perceived inaction by the Pueblo County Commissioners on not allowing them to sign new licenses to grow and produce cannabis.
A vote by the three commissioners has been delayed twice in the last week, a vote that would allow the commissioners to review and sign off on new licenses for cannabis cultivators who previously held a license. Currently, Pueblo County has instituted a cap on all cannabis licenses at 122, meaning no new operators can apply for one. According to Pueblo County Assistant Attorney Sarah Long, there are currently 32 licenses that would be available if the county commissioners sign off on it.
This comes as those in the industry say the amount of operators growing cannabis in Pueblo County has dropped precipitously. Due to this, the cultivators say Pueblo County has lost out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue.
"I can tell you most of the people I was born in this industry with are gone," Anthony Russo, a Pueblo County cannabis cultivator, said. "Another friend of mine just closed a week and a half ago and did not renew his license because of lack of being able to pay for it," Russo says he and his cultivator competitors will not be able to grow cannabis in Pueblo County going into their summer growing season without the ability to apply for a new one.
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