DENVER — Patrons now have a choice between a glass of wine with dinner or some weed.Denver has become the first state in the nation to allow bar owners (who get the approval of their neighbors), offer their customers the option of smoking weed with their dinner. The downside is that they will have to smoke outside.
Proposition 300 in Denver was approved by voters the same day that California along with two other states legalized weed for recreational use and five other states approved marijuana for medicinal purposes. These changes signify an increasing tolerance for pot by the society.
The Denver cannabis consultant and campaign manager for the pot-in-bars measure; Emmett Reistroffer, said “It’s the sensible thing to do.” He adds “This is about personal responsibility and respecting adults who want to have a place to enjoy cannabis.”
This ordinance in Denver is effective immediately although it has a lot of conditions.
Owners interested in participating would have to get their neighbors to agree before they can apply for a license to allow pot use on their premises. Then the customers would have to supply their own pot in order to be in compliance with state laws which do not allow the sale of marijuana and food/ drink at the same establishment.
Customers could consume edible marijuana inside, but not smoke it. The outside smoking is permissible by law, but has restrictions. The law permits establishments such as yoga or art galleries to have weed-smoking sections and also allow them to hold events in which they could serve weed with food and drink. A Denver proponent of the consumption law and spokesman for the national Marijuana Policy Project; Mason Tvert, stated that tourist would now have a place where they can use marijuana in private and in turn reduce the possibilities of them smoking weed in public places such as sidewalks or parks.
“We are setting up a system that is still more restrictive than what we see with alcohol consumption,” Tvert said.
It could take a while before Denver sees any Amsterdam-style coffee shops considering there is no way to know how many establishments desire to apply for the permits nor how long it would take for them to get their neighbors to agree and receive permits. The ordinance is over in 2020, unless city officials renew the licenses or voters decide to make the measure permanent.
MAPH Enterprises, LLC | (305) 414-0128 | 1501 Venera Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33146 | new@marijuanastocks.com
