DENVER — The same pro-pot advocates who brought legalized recreational marijuana to Colorado launched Thursday a ballot campaign to allow adult “marijuana bars” in Denver.
Mason Tvert and Brian Vicente, who led the successful 2012 statewide initiative campaign for Amendment 64, announced they have formed the Campaign for Limited Social Use to “allow the use — but not sale — of marijuana at commercial establishments in areas restricted to individuals 21 or older.”
The measure, which would apply only to the city of Denver, needs 4,726 valid signatures to qualify for the November 2015 ballot.
“Marijuana is a legal product for adults in Denver that is much safer than alcohol,” Mr. Tvert said in a statement. “Adults should have the right to consume it socially with other adults in commercial establishments that choose to allow it. We also need to ensure that adults who visit Denver and purchase marijuana legally have a place where they can consume it legally.”
Colorado, the first state in the nation to create a regulated, licensed marijuana market, allows the sale, cultivation and use of recreational pot by adults 21 and over, but forbids pot-smoking “openly and publicly,” which includes consumption in commercial establishments.
Where to smoke pot is an ongoing topic of debate in Colorado. Denver already has private “cannabis clubs,” but the proposal would take those a step further by allowing pot consumption at establishments open to the public, much like Amsterdam’s marijuana bars.
“Under the proposed measure, businesses that have a license to sell alcohol for onsite consumption would be able to decide whether to allow cannabis consumption on the premises,” the press release said.
“Businesses that choose to allow only cannabis consumption (without licensed alcohol consumption) would be subject to regulation by the city, including restrictions on location and hours of operation,” the release said.
Such establishments would also be required to comply with the Colorado Indoor Clean Air Act, said the release.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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