(1) (a) (I) On or after October 1, 2013, a person who is operating in good standing a licensed medical marijuana center, an optional premises cultivation license, or a licensed medical marijuana-infused products business or a person who had a pending application with the state licensing authority prior to December 10, 2012, has paid all applicable licensing fees, and has not yet had that application approved may apply for a retail marijuana establishment license under this article 12.

(II) An applicant pursuant to this subsection (1)(a) shall indicate whether he or she wants to surrender the current medical marijuana license issued pursuant to part 4 of article 11 of this title 44 or intends to retain the license in addition to the retail marijuana establishment license.

(III) If the applicant indicates a desire to surrender the medical marijuana license, the applicant shall continue to operate under that license so long as the license remains in effect until a retail marijuana establishment license is approved. If the retail marijuana establishment license is granted, the applicant shall have fourteen days from the effective date of the license to surrender the medical marijuana license to the state licensing authority. If the retail marijuana license is granted, on the effective date of the license, all medical marijuana plants and inventory shall become retail marijuana plants and inventory on the date of the retail marijuana establishment license; except that beginning on July 1, 2016, an applicant shall not be allowed to transfer medical marijuana plants and inventory from a medical marijuana center or from a medical marijuana-infused products manufacturer to any retail marijuana establishment. Beginning on July 1, 2016, the only transfer of medical marijuana allowed pursuant to this subsection (1)(a)(III) is the transfer of medical marijuana plants and inventory from a medical marijuana cultivation facility to a retail marijuana cultivation facility.

(IV) An applicant pursuant to this subsection (1)(a) may apply for a retail marijuana establishment license and retain the medical marijuana license. The applicant may apply to have the medical marijuana licensed operation and the retail marijuana establishment at the same location only if the local jurisdiction permits the medical marijuana licensed operation and the retail marijuana establishment to be operated at the same location. At the time that the retail marijuana establishment license becomes effective, the applicant shall identify the medical marijuana inventory that will become retail marijuana inventory; except that beginning on July 1, 2016, an applicant shall not be allowed to transfer medical marijuana inventory from a medical marijuana center or from a medical marijuana-infused products manufacturer to any retail marijuana establishment. Beginning on July 1, 2016, the only transfer of medical marijuana allowed pursuant to this subsection (1)(a)(IV) is the transfer of medical marijuana inventory from a medical marijuana cultivation facility to a retail marijuana cultivation facility.

(V) An applicant pursuant to this subsection (1)(a) who retains a medical marijuana license and obtains a retail marijuana establishment license for the two licensed premises must maintain actual physical separation between the two or only sell medical marijuana to persons twenty-one years of age or older.

(b) On and after July 1, 2014, persons who did not meet the requirements of subsection (1)(a)(I) of this section may apply for licensure pursuant to this article 12. A license issued to a person pursuant to this subsection (1)(b) is not effective until October 1, 2014.

(2) (a) A person applying pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall complete forms as provided by the state licensing authority and shall pay the application fee and the licensing fee, which shall be credited to the marijuana cash fund established pursuant to section 44-11-501. The state licensing authority shall forward, within seven days, one-half of the license application fee to the local jurisdiction unless the local jurisdiction has prohibited the operation of retail marijuana establishments pursuant to section 16 (5)(f) of article XVIII of the state constitution. If the license is denied, the state licensing authority shall refund the licensing fee to the applicant.

(b) The state licensing authority shall act upon an application made pursuant to subsection (1) of this section no sooner than forty-five days and no later than ninety days after the date of the application. The state licensing authority shall process applications in the order in which complete applications are received by the state licensing authority.

(3) As provided in section 16 (5)(f) of article XVIII of the state constitution, any local jurisdiction may enact ordinances or regulations governing the time, place, manner, and number of retail marijuana establishments, which may include a local licensing requirement, or may prohibit the operation of retail marijuana establishments through the enactment of an ordinance or through a referred or initiated measure. If a county acts through an initiated measure, the proponents shall submit a petition signed by not less than fifteen percent of the registered electors in the county.

(4) This article 12 sets forth the exclusive means by which cultivation, manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensing, and testing of retail marijuana and retail marijuana products may occur in the state of Colorado.

(5) (a) Nothing in this article 12 is intended to require an employer to permit or accommodate the use, consumption, possession, transfer, display, transportation, sale, or cultivating of marijuana in the workplace or to affect the ability of employers to have policies restricting the use of marijuana by employees.

(b) Nothing in this article 12 prohibits a person, employer, school, hospital, detention facility, corporation, or any other entity who occupies, owns, or controls a property from prohibiting or otherwise regulating the possession, consumption, use, display, transfer, distribution, sale, transportation, or cultivating of marijuana on or in that property.