Department of Community Development
Reference: Natural Medicine - Land Use & Development Code Articles 4 & 11
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Through: Michael P. Martinez, City Manager
Prepared By: Summer McCann, AICP, Senior Planner
Date Prepared: September 15, 2025
PURPOSE
Review and consider modifications to the Land Use & Development Code ("LUDC") to regulate the time, place, and manner for Natural Medicine uses.
PROCESSES
The LUDC outlines the code amendment process, which allows for initiation of amendments by the City Council, Planning Commission, and staff on behalf of these entities. The proposed amendments were discussed at study sessions with the Planning Commission on July 24, 2025, and with the City Council on July 15, 2025.
In considering the amendments, the City Council should use the review criteria outlined in Section 2.10(B) of the LUDC. The review criteria generally include, but are not limited to, furthering the purposes of the LUDC, amendments being in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan, promoting the public safety, health and general welfare of the community, and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of administering the LUDC.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS
On November 8, 2022, Colorado voters approved Proposition 122, commonly known as the Natural Medicine Health Act, which established a state-regulated framework for natural medicine services and therapeutic programs and decriminalized certain natural medicine substances, such as Psilocybin, Psilocin, Dimethyltryptamine, Ibogaine, and Mescaline. Proposition 122 passed statewide with 53.64% support, including Adams County voters approving the initiative with 56.2% support.
To implement Proposition 122, the Colorado legislature enacted Senate Bill 23-290 ("SB 23-290") in April 2023, which Governor Polis signed into law on May 23, 2023. SB 23-290 formally created a statewide regulatory system for governing both natural medicine businesses and ...
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