Sensi: Public Consumption of Cannabis

More than five years after recreational marijuana was approved by Colorado voters, House Bill 1258 was introduced this week that would allow licensed marijuana businesses to apply for a “marijuana accessory consumption establishment” license.

Leland Rucker, the senior editor at Sensi Magazine, says the 23-page bill outlines rules and many restrictions for the tasting rooms, including no food, no alcohol, no employee consumption and no free samples. The bill would allow for adult patrons to vape flower or concentrate and to sample single-serving infused products. Purchase limits would be 3.5 grams of flower, or one gram of concentrate or the standard infused product serving size containing 10 milligrams of THC.

“This is the second try at the legislative level to provide public consumption areas. A 2016 bill that would have allowed local governments to regulate pot clubs faced opposition from Gov. John Hickenlooper. We’ll keep you posted on how far this one gets.”

In related news, the city of Denver has approved an application for the Coffee Joint, a coffee shop that also allows cannabis use by customers under a public consumption measure passed by voters in 2016.

Anyone 21 years of age or older will be allowed to vape or consume edibles they bring to the cafe, just east of Interstate 25 in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Smoking is still prohibited by law, and no cannabis products will be for sale, although the owners also own a dispensary next door.

Since it’s in an industrial area, there was no opposition at the public license hearing on Feb. 9. It received the required neighborhood group backing from the La Alma-Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association. The location also helped avoid rules that limit businesses within 1,000 feet of schools, child-care facilities, or drug treatment centers.

The owners are now in the construction phase and don’t expect to open for a couple of weeks, with yoga classes and educational and art events in the planning stages. They intend to charge a $5 admission fee, with free entry for dispensary customers.

The city has received another application for a marijuana spa in a historic building in Capitol Hill.

Leland Rucker joins us Thursday mornings at 8.20am, on KGNU’s Morning Magazine, to talk about the latest news in cannabis.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download