Marijuana Licenses

Application Process

Both the State of Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division and the local licensing authority must license a marijuana business.  Grand County Government is the local licensing authority for all marijuana licenses issued to businesses located within unincorporated Grand County.

Guidelines for the Application Process

• Applications will be accepted Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. unless the courthouse is closed for a holiday.  We recommend that applicants set up an appointment to submit an application or if they have questions about their application or the application process.  Our staff will answer questions about the licensing process but cannot provide legal or business advice.  We recommend that you enlist the services of professional lawyers and contractors to review your application and construction plans.  Generally, Wednesdays and Thursdays are the best days to schedule appointments.
• All applications must be submitted in a paper format. We do not accept electronic submissions of applications or supporting documentation.
• The County application and supporting documentation should be submitted all together at one time rather than piecemeal.
• Review of an application will not begin until the County has received a complete application and all required supporting documentation.  An approved provisional state license is required in order to have a complete application. Grand County does not do a concurrent review.
• Complete marijuana applications and required supporting documentation will be reviewed and processed in the order they are received.
• The County will make every effort to review the completed application within 30 to 60 days of submission of a completed application.
• The applicant will be notified of the issues and concerns found during the review process and have an opportunity to resolve those issues.
• If additional documentation is requested of the applicant during the Marijuana Enforcement Division’s review process, the applicant must submit the same documentation to the County.

Applications for a Retail Marijuana License

• An applicant will first submit the state application, supporting documents, and fees to the Marijuana Enforcement Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue for retail licenses (retail marijuana stores, retail marijuana cultivation facilities, retail marijuana products manufacturers, retail marijuana testing facilities, and warehouse permits).
• Within seven days of receiving an application, the Marijuana Enforcement Division will send a copy of the state application to the County as notification to the County.
• Once the County has received the state application, the applicant may obtain a copy of the Grand County Application for a Marijuana License and a list of additional items needed by the County from the Grand County Clerk and Recorder.
• The County will make notification of the application to the Grand County Planning and Zoning Department, the Grand County Sheriff, and the local fire department.
• The County will send out a courtesy notification to:
  • The taxing entities for the proposed premises
  • The adjacent taxing entities for the proposed premises
  • The property owners within a 1000-foot radius of the property.
  • All citizens on the Interested Parties email list.
• Upon receipt of a complete County application for a license, the County will begin its review process.
• Once the review is completed and the applicant has resolved the issues found during the review:
  • A notice will be posted on the property.
  • A legal notice will be published in the legal newspaper for Grand County (Middle Park Times).
  • A Public Hearing will be scheduled before the Board of County Commissioners.  No Public Hearing will be scheduled sooner than 30 days after the receipt of a complete application.
  • A courtesy postcard will be mailed to all property owners within the two-mile radius of the property informing them of the public hearing.
• At the Public Hearing the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will consider the needs of the neighborhood and desires of the adult inhabitants as expressed through public comment and/or petitions.  The BOCC generally considers the neighborhood to be the 2-mile radius around the proposed location.
• The BOCC will either approve or deny the application. The BOCC may approve the application subject to specific terms and conditions.  If the application is approved and issued, the State license will no longer be provisional and the applicant will have a license to do business in Grand County.

Applications for a Medical Marijuana License

• The process for an application for a Medical Marijuana License is the same as the process for an application for a Retail Marijuana License except that:
  • A copy of the state application must be submitted to the Grand County Clerk and Recorder by the applicant before submitting it to the Marijuana Enforcement Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue. 
  • The applicant will be given a letter acknowledging receipt of the application.  This letter will need to be submitted to the Marijuana Enforcement Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue when the application is submitted to them.