Colorado marijuana business owners say they were surprised to learn earlier this month that their licensing fees would more than double going forward, and claim that state officials increased the cost of doing business without proper notice.
The state Marijuana Enforcement Division sent a memo to business owners on August 2 outlining new application and renewal fees, which were effectively doubled to "accommodate the requirements" of a new law stretching licensing renewal periods from one year to two. The fees, considered "emergency rules," took effect five days later.
According to the MED, doubling the fees was necessary "to cover the workload involved" for the new two-year period. An additional 5 percent increase was added to account for annual inflation.
This comes after the MED raised licensing costs by around 8 percent last year to balance inflation and budgeting shortages.
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