Weed Between the Lines: Public Consumption of Pot in Denver

Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project and Denver attorney Brian Vicente, the activists behind Amendment 64 which legalized marijuana via Amendment 64 are now pushing for a 2015 ballot initiative in Denver that would allow indoor vaping and outdoor smoking at certain bars and clubs.

Leland Rucker says the Denver measure is similar to the situation in Pueblo which allows for cannabis specific clubs. The Denver measure would allow for that type of club but would not limit consumption to cannabis clubs. Leland Rucker spoke with Representative Jonathan Singer who says that this initiative is a great idea “it’s about time that we have a conversation about what open and public means and that we make sure if we do this we have safe places for people to consume cannabis.”

The Drug Policy Alliance recently issued a report which found that marijuana arrests have drastically plummeted in Colorado following the passage of Amendment 64, including arrests for public consumption of cannabis, but the report goes on to say that racial disparities still exist in the number of citations issued for public consumption.