Heidi Davis stands near the marijuana grow operations that are next to her north Boulder neighborhood. Davis says the smell from the businesses wafts into her neighborhood and home. (Paul Aiken, Daily Camera)

Colorado grow house plans to appeal $14,000 fine for marijuana smell

Dandelion Grow, the north Boulder cannabis garden blamed for releasing a marijuana smell into the air, disputes accusations made by the city and plans to appeal a $10,000 odor fine.

That penalty represented the grow’s second violation in the last month; the first cost it $4,000. A city spokeswoman said Friday that those fines were the result of failed talks between the grow and city to bring Dandelion into compliance and mitigate the odor that’s been bothering neighbors for months.

Josh Ginsberg, CEO of Dandelion and Native Roots — the state’s largest pot chain and license holder — said that his warehouse, which is just west of the corner of Broadway and Lee Hill Drive, is one in a row of grow operations, and that Boulder is wrong to peg the odor issue on Dandelion alone. “It’s not fair that we were the only ones that were blamed,” Ginsberg said. “There is a smell up there, but the fact that we got accused of the whole thing, it just doesn’t make sense.”

Ginsberg said his company has worked with the city “for the past many weeks” to identify possible flaws in the grow’s ventilation system and to learn what, exactly, Boulder would like to see the grow improve upon.

What the city wants is simple: no pot odor detectable outside the grow. Currently, the odor frequently fills the residential area around Dandelion. Boulder sent an inspector back out to the facility on Monday, and reported, through spokeswoman Sarah Huntley, “there was no odor detected, suggesting that the business is now working toward rectifying the issue.”

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