Social Consumption Lounges Move Forward in Colorado

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap]s of 2020, Colorado will be home to public-use cannabis spaces. However, it may take a little bit of time for this effort to get off the ground.

According to Westword, although House Bill 1230, “a measure allowing dispensaries, restaurants, hotels, mobile lounges, and other businesses to apply for social use permits, allowing customers to buy up to one gram of flower, one-quarter gram of concentrate or edibles with no more than 10 milligrams of THC,” is now law, cities and towns still need to opt-in to be able to participate, and there are still a lot of regulations in place.

While the city of Denver may take longer to get going because of all the red tape, many mountain towns and smaller areas are already working on the new program. Glendale officials are holding a hearing on social use on March 3 to help discuss their plans. If they go forward, Smokin Gun Apothecary in Glendale would like to start a tasting room and be open in time for 4/20.

In the meantime, a handful of mountain communities and one small town near Denver could be the first municipalities to opt-in to the state’s new social use program. “We already have dispensaries, where everyone knows they have marijuana,” said Glendale Deputy City Manager Chuck Line. “Who knows, maybe in the future, we’ll allow [social cannabis use] at some restaurants, but we have to see how these things operate first.”

Additionally, Eagle, Pitkin and Summit counties are also possibly considering social consumption. “I think you’ll see most of those businesses inside town limits, but a couple of [counties] are looking at it,” said Colorado Counties Inc. police director Eric Bergman.

Things have always looked good for cannabis in Colorado, and they continue to improve. Banks in the state are now able to work with cannabis businesses, and employees are now protected when they consume cannabis. It won’t be long before social consumption is also the norm.