(1) (a) For the purpose of regulating and controlling the licensing of the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale, and testing of regulated marijuana in this state, there is hereby created the state licensing authority, which is the executive director or the deputy director of the department if the executive director so designates.
(b) The state licensing authority also has regulatory authority for retail marijuana and retail marijuana products as permitted in section 16 of article XVIII of the state constitution and this article 10.
The executive director is the chief administrative officer of the state licensing authority and may employ, pursuant to section 13 of article XII of the state constitution, such officers and employees as may be determined to be necessary, which officers and employees are part of the department.
A state licensing authority employee with regulatory oversight responsibilities formarijuana businesses licensed by the state licensing authority shall not work for, represent, or provide consulting services to or otherwise derive pecuniary gain from a medical or retail marijuana business licensed by the state licensing authority or other business entity established for the primary purpose of providing services to the marijuana industry for a period of six months following his or her last day of employment with the state licensing authority.
Any person who discloses confidential records or information in violation of theprovisions of this article 10 commits a class 1 misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided in section 18-1.3-501. Any criminal prosecution pursuant to the provisions of this section must be brought within five years from the date the violation occurred.
Source: L. 2019: Entire article added with relocations, (SB 19-224), ch. 315, p. 2840, § 5, effective January 1, 2020.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former §§ 44-11-201 and 44-12-201 as they existed prior to 2020.