Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board

Kind: board
Meets: The Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board meets quarterly on the first Monday of the month at 3 p.m. in a Virtual Hearing format.
How often: a few times a year (6 in the last 24 months) explorer count
Last meeting: Oct 5, 2026
Next meeting: Nov 16, 2026
Members: 13 on the roster

Purpose, as its page states it

The Cannabis Licensing and Advisory Board was formed in 2020. Consisting of seven members appointed by City Council, CLAB Board Members will serve various terms between two to five years that are staggered so that all members cycling off at the five-year point does not occur. Up to two ex officio, non-voting members may be appointed by City Council at council's discretion. Initially, CLAB’s primary function served to advise City Council on policy related marijuana and hemp matters. The Board’s responsibilities also include making determinations on marijuana and hemp license applications on behalf of the City of Boulder. The CLAB and city staff will set their own advisory meeting agendas using previously received suggestion forms and their own topics as determined by a quorum of their membership. Decisions made by the board on licensing matters shall follow the city’s quasi-judicial structure and will be conducted in compliance with drafted Board rules. Each full quarterly CLAB Meeting will include time for public comment, and the CLAB chair may determine the allowed time for public comments to facilitate meeting efficiency. Please note that any contacts to individual CLAB members must be disclosed by the member in public meetings due to the ex-parte contact and conflicts of interest provisions of the City’s Boulder Revised Code.

How it is constituted

AI-read · unreviewedread by a model from the Charter, the code, minutes and city pages; every quote checked against its saved source; not reviewed by a person. Hover a source for its words.

Legal basis

BRC 2-3-25 · creates · Cannabis Licensing and Advisory Board source
Ordinance No. 8338 (2019) (2019) · creates source
Ordinance No. 8384 (2020) (2020) · amends source source
BRC 6-16-2 (definition of recreational marijuana local licensing authority) · governs source

Appointed by

City Council. City Council appoints the seven voting members and, at its discretion, up to two non-voting ex officio members (meant for qualified non-residents). source source

How

The city's annual boards and commissions recruitment (applications December-January, interviews with a council member and board staff in February), then council nominations and votes at a regular meeting before April. In 2026 CLAB received no applications for its one open seat, which stays vacant and goes to the council Boards and Commissions Committee. · annual (appointment in March, effective April 1) · City Council vote source source source as of 2026-03-05

Seats

7 source

Seat types

marijuana or hemp business owner or representative ×2 qualified
connection to the health or education field ×2 qualified
community at large ×3 at-large
ex officio non-voting (non-resident from the candidate pool) ×2 non-voting

source

Term

5 years (initial members 1 to 5 years, to stagger) source

Term limit

none set in BRC 2-3-25; the general provisions (BRC 2-3-1) set no limit either, and members serve until their successors take office source

Staggering

staggered so that no more than two terms expire in one year; the first members served 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5 and 5 years source

Powers

mixed. Decides: Grants or refuses medical and recreational marijuana business license applications in quasi-judicial hearings (licensing duties phased in from 2020; the board sets which matters it hears and which staff handle). It does not suspend, revoke or fine: the city manager does.. To council: Advises City Council and the city manager on marijuana and hemp policy, strategies, goals and code changes, and continues the Marijuana Advisory Panel's outstanding work. source source source

Council liaison

not applicable: City Council does not assign council liaisons to city boards and commissions: its 2026 committee and board assignments list only intergovernmental bodies, internal council committees, outside local boards, Boulder Housing Partners, Chautauqua and sister cities, and council procedure bars members from speaking at board meetings unless council authorises it. source source

Staff liaison

Regulatory Licensing Division (city manager as secretary / licensing clerk); City Attorney's Office advises · Kristen Changaris, Kristen Teague source source source as of 2026-02-23

Relations

City Council appoints Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board source
City Manager liaison Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board · The city manager is the board's secretary (licensing clerk) and agent, and the recreational marijuana local licensing authority under BRC 6-16. source
Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board recommends to City Council source
Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board recommends to City Manager source
City Attorney's Office staffs Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board · legal advisor; City Attorney's Office staff are listed among staff present source
Finance staffs Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board · licensing staff (Regulatory Licensing Division), acting for the city manager as secretary / licensing clerk source source
Marijuana Advisory Panel succeeded by Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board source source

History

2019 · created · Ordinance 8338 (2019) added BRC 2-3-25, creating a marijuana licensing board on the recommendation of the Marijuana Advisory Panel, a working group to the City Manager. source source
2020 · renamed · Ordinance 8384 (2020) renamed it the Cannabis Licensing and Advisory Board, because hemp issues had arisen; first meeting May 4, 2020. source

25 meetings, first on record 2022

timeline 2011 to now

Each line is a meeting. Tall: has a recording. Short: no recording. Square below: has documents. Ring above: has captions. Dashed: upcoming or cancelled. The dashed box is the window with full sources (agendas, packets, minutes) from Apr 1, 2026; before it, recordings only.