Ouray County commissioners denied an application for a retail marijuana store in Colona on Tuesday after more than two hours of discussion and are now tasking staff with looking into a legal way to put a moratorium on any retail marijuana stores in unincorporated areas of the county.

Kind Castle’s first proposal for the location at 36962 Highway 550, next to the old Colona Store, was hit with major public backlash after 174 people from the area signed a petition opposed to a proposal to the...