The Birth of Pot Cafes?

In the midst of all the news about California and other states legalizing cannabis, one bit of weed news has slipped us by: Denver has become the first city to legalize the public use of cannabis in designated areas. Pot tourism has become a major business in the states that have already legalized cannabis, but only to a point.

Treat like Alcohol

Cannabis consumption is still illegal in all public places and most hotels don’t allow smoking of any kind on their premises. What’s a tourist to do? Furthermore, what about residents? It’s all well and good to treat cannabis the way one would treat alcohol. But there are establishments where people over the age of 21 can congregate to drink socially to their heart’s content. Certainly there is a demand for equivalent establishments for cannabis, even without taking tourism into account.

Initiative 300

Denver voters agreed when they voted to approve Initiative 300, which will allow existing businesses operating within Denver city limits to apply for a permit that allows them to establish “designated consumption areas” for cannabis. The four year pilot program has extremely strict requirements for businesses to receive these licenses, and was designed as a test run to see how Denver residents adapt to the idea of social cannabis. If Amsterdam is any indication, it’s sure to be a success. Perhaps other cities will follow suit.

Find out more about Denver’s designated consumption areas on MERRYJANE.com