Denver Excise and Licensing Director Tom Downey quit on Monday — leaving a position that led the city’s regulation of medical marijuana and was in charge of putting together a framework for the coming retail marijuana system that begins in January.
Tom Downey resigned as director of Denver’s excise and licensing department on Monday.
Downey on Tuesday said “It was time for me to move on. Recreation marijuana is ready to go.”
Downey said: I have had the great pleasure to work with some amazing colleagues and stakeholders for the last 2+ years, and I am very proud of what we have accomplished.”
A press release from the Mayor’s Office on Tuesday said it has deployed a task force “to ensure cost-effective, timely service delivery as the city prepares to accept retail marijuana license applications beginning on Oct. 1.”
“It’s our responsibility to get this right from Day One,” Hancock said.
“That is why we are equipping Excise and License with the best resources possible to ensure a responsible and thoughtful licensing system for retail marijuana. Pairing our Peak Performance team with the Excise and License staff will establish solid protocols from the start and will set this department on the right path toward delivering efficient and effective customer service around this new industry.”
Hancock also announced Denver’s Deputy Finance Director Gretchen Hollrah will step in to lead the department on an interim basis. She will oversee the administration of all business and liquor licensing for the city.
Downey took the blame for the city’s problems with its regulation of medical marijuana after a scathing audit. At the time, Downey said he did not have the right number of staff to handle the caseload because of the city’s tight budgets.
