Cannacurio: Who Paid the Biggest Fines in Colorado Last Year?

In 2017, the Colorado General Assembly repealed the statutory mandate that the Department of Revenue report this information to the Colorado General Assembly (HB 17-1137). However, the Department of Revenue Marijuana Enforcement Division still issues a report detailing fines, suspensions and revocations imposed by the State Licensing Authority. This information is only released once per year and sheds light on key compliance events in the state.

Key Findings:

In 2019 there were 202 administrative actions taken. Here are the details:

• 565 licenses were cited (some multiple times)
• 56 people showed up two or more times
• Stores/Dispensaries accounted for 42% of the actions while Cultivation licenses were responsible for 47%. The balance came from Manufacturers (6%), Transporter (4%) and Testing (1%).
• $1,311,330 worth of fees and fines were levied in 2019.
• Native Roots paid the biggest fine: $200,000 and 33 facility and individual licenses were cited.

Fines:

The regulators do not share details on what infractions occurred, unlike Washington, Oregon and Alaska. However, here are the companies that paid the most in 2019:

Here is a view to how these actions break down by Activity:

License Revocations also occurred in 2019. The report includes 37 of this most severe penalty. Six facility licenses and 31 individual licenses were revoked and cited businesses include: Delta 17, LLC, High Sierra Naturals, Inc., Tri-Canna, LLC, Pikes Peak Sales & Supply, LLC (2) and Kind Enterprises, LLC.

Why This Is Important:

While some would argue that this type of information serves a prurient interest, we see it as an important component of a smoothly functioning cannabis ecosystem. Stakeholders want to be assured that there is a level playing field. By providing this information MED creates a deterrent for bad actors. That said, they can do a better job and follow the lead of other regulators by providing details on the infractions and to provide it on a more timely basis.

Cannabiz Media customers can stay up-to-date on these and other new licenses through our newsletters, alerts, and reports modules. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive these weekly reports delivered to your inbox. Or you can schedule a demo for more information on how to access the Cannabiz Media License Database yourself to dive further into this data.

‍Cannacurio is a weekly column from Cannabiz Media featuring insights from the most comprehensive license data platform.