Since passing Amendment 64 in 2012, Denver's gotten used to being included in the punchline for jokes about marijuana.
And Denver voters' decision to approve Initiative 300, allowing businesses to create "consumption areas," gave comedian Stephen Colbert new fodder about the city last week.
Colbert told the audience of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," "That's right, waiters at Denver restaurants will now say, 'Do you want fries with that, and do you want to get fried with that?'"
In theory, just about any kind of business that doesn’t sell marijuana could apply for a cannabis consumption permit under the Neighborhood-Supported Cannabis Consumption Pilot Program. The program requires participating businesses to follow the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act and prevent cannabis use from being seen from the public right of way.
But a new catch from the Liquor Enforcement Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue says that a business could have either a liquor license or a permit for social marijuana use. Not both.
That catch makes Colbert's comment, "Marijuana-friendly bars are officially a go in Colorado," rather inaccurate.
Which is too bad. "Don't just hot box in your car. You can smoke it in a bar" is pretty funny.
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