Lakewood, Colo. – Feb. 15 – The Colorado Department of Revenue's Natural Medicine Division's 2024 Rulemaking Work Groups are set to begin March 20 and will build on the work done through 2023-2024 listening sessions. This stakeholder outreach and feedback is vital in building an effective and inclusive natural medicine regulatory framework.
The Work Groups represent the Department of Revenue’s commitment towards transparent and inclusive rulemaking. The Natural Medicine Division aims to gather insights and perspectives from interested parties to inform the creation of comprehensive regulations. The Work Groups will focus on various key discussion topics related to the licensing of natural medicine operations (healing centers, cultivations, manufacturing facilities, and testing laboratories), advertising, packaging and labeling, recordkeeping, cultivation and manufacturing practices, testing requirements, fees, and enforcement measures for regulated natural medicine operations in Colorado.
"As a new Division, we have learned so much from stakeholders who participated in our listening sessions and information gathering in 2023,” said Dominique Mendiola, Senior Director of the Colorado Natural Medicine Division. “I look forward to continuing our work with stakeholders in the formal rulemaking process, as we have a lot to tackle in advance of our beginning to license natural medicine operations by the end of the year. We are committed to standing up a regulatory framework that reflects both the will of the voters and the direction of the Colorado General Assembly through proactive collaboration with stakeholders. This will support a successful program and help keep us accountable in these efforts.”
The Rulemaking Work Group Meetings schedule is as follows:
| Meeting Focus Topic(s) | Date / Time / Meeting Format |
Meeting #1 | March 20, 2024 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Hybrid In-Person & Virtual |
Meeting #2 | April 10, 2024 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Virtual Only |
Meeting #3 | May 1, 2024 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Hybrid In-Person & Virtual |
Meeting #4 | May 22, 2024 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Hybrid In-Person & Virtual |
Meeting # 5 | June 12, 2024 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Virtual Only |
Meeting #6 | June 25, 2024 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Virtual Only |
Meeting #7 | July 1, 2024 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Hybrid In-Person & Virtual |
Meeting #8 | July 9, 2024 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Virtual Only |
*Please note: The Division may announce additional work group meetings, which may include designating selected work group members.
Detailed agendas, initial draft rules, and any other materials for each work group will be made available on the Natural Medicine Division's official website at least five business days ahead of the respective meeting dates.
All members of the public can attend rulemaking meetings and participate in the discussion by signing up to provide comments. These work group meetings will be focused on the announced topic(s) and will be structured in a way that helps ensure everyone who signs up to provide comment has an opportunity to do so. Feedback gained during the rulemaking work groups will be used to inform future meeting agenda items, discussions, questions, and the Division’s development of proposed rules.
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About the Natural Medicine Division
The establishment of the Natural Medicine Division follows the enactment of SB23-290, which entrusted the Department of Revenue with the responsibility to regulate and license various aspects of natural medicine operations in Colorado. The Division will collaborate closely with the Division of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and the Natural Medicine Advisory Board, facilitated by DORA, to develop rules and processes.