If you’re going to enjoy the city, you might want to bring a friend or two to enjoy it with. It’s not a bad idea to bring a friend of a friend to Denver, to gain a sense of what it’s like to live in a city where cannabis is legal.
There are many legitimate questions about the legality of medical marijuana; its legality and safety, the role of the DEA, the potential for abuse, what it’s worth in terms of the well-being of the patient, the legality of imported and exported products, and the cost of medical marijuana.
The federal government still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, which means it has a high potential for abuse. The Drug Enforcement Administration has threatened to sue most states that have legalized marijuana, and some have already gotten hit with unlicensed growers and dispensaries.
The federal government has not moved to reduce marijuana’s Schedule I status, but it has eased restrictions on the medical use of marijuana. In Colorado, cities and towns consider legalizing marijuana for recreational use, but Denver is the only one that’s decided to go forward.
It’s a city with a long history of being a leader in the cannabis industry, a city that ranks No. 1 in terms of jobs created from marijuana-related businesses, and a city that’s going to have to decide its future.
I don’t know a single credit card company that would accept a transaction in a state that authorized the sale of marijuana,” said Mike Wood, the National Cannabis Industry Association president, a lobbying group for cannabis companies.
We’re not surprised by this turn of events. The marijuana industry is notoriously poor at accepting credit cards, and banks are even less willing to take on the risk of dealing with marijuana-related businesses.
The industry is also poorly equipped to deal with the risk of running afoul of the federal government. For one thing, the vast majority of states allow medical marijuana but have not legalized recreational use. That creates considerable confusion when it comes to billing and finance.
“It’s about 20 states where marijuana is legal, but they have no law for recreational use,” said Neil Maruoka, a senior vice president at the Marijuana Industry Group. “There is a lot of paperwork that needs to be filled out.”
So, where does that leave you? Cold hard cash is the best form of currency for buying recreational weed in Denver. Keep it old school and keep your I.D. on you to prove you are 21 or over.
A prescription from a physician is required to purchase marijuana in Colorado, and the law is fairly clear. If you’re under 21, you can’t buy marijuana. You must be 21 to have a license and 21 years old to purchase marijuana. If you’re under 21, you may not possess, transport, or give away marijuana.
Restrictions On Where You Can Buy Marijuana
The rules for where you can buy marijuana differ by state. In Colorado, you can’t buy marijuana in any of these places:
Any retail store
- Any establishment that sells alcoholic beverages
- Any establishment that sells or provides alcohol
- Any establishment that permits the sale or use of marijuana
- Any establishment that sells or provides marijuana to anyone below the age of 21
- Any establishment that sells or provides marijuana to anyone below the age of 21
- You may purchase marijuana at a medical marijuana dispensary.
An adult is allowed to purchase 28 grams (1oz) per day. Dispensaries can only sell up to 8 grams of concentrates to buyers who are 21 and over. Also, edibles must contain less than 800 milligrams of THC.
The federal law allows for the drug’s use recreationally, but it is only allowed to a small percentage of the population and those with certain medical conditions. New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Delaware have legalized marijuana for recreational use, while Alaska and Washington, D.C., have legalized it for medical use. The law goes into effect on October 1. You should not smoke pot while driving. Denver limits its drivers to less than five nanograms of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per milliliter of blood. You can go to jail for “driving under the influence,” —and you can get a felony charge. When you drive under the influence, a police officer can cite you only for “driving while impaired” —not marijuana.
The insurance company’s policy covers you for six months if pulled over for driving under the influence, but it doesn’t cover cannabis use. The law on the medical use of cannabis is different from New Jersey, allowing medical use with a doctor’s permission, but it’s still only allowed in certain applications. For example, you can’t use it as a pain reliever, and it’s limited to cannabis oil. Check with your doctor if you’re looking to get your cannabis oil treatment approved.
Giving marijuana purchases to minors in Denver, Colorado, is 100% prohibited—minors can’t even accompany you when you shop in dispensaries. If the state gets its way, pot smokers will be able to buy weed from marijuana establishments in other states, too. What’s more, the state will be able to determine if a marijuana-selling enterprise is a “public place” or not. This is a significant crackdown on legal pot shops in the state. It’s also a victory for the anti-drug-war movement, which has been in the midst of a major push against marijuana use.
The Associated Press reports that the state Department of Revenue has asked Denver police and the state attorney general to crack down on marijuana shops that are not licensed by the state.
“The department is asking the attorney general to consider whether the state’s new law is consistent with Colorado law and how it applies to marijuana stores in Denver,” reads the A.P. report. “Denver police and state prosecutors are also considering whether the city could file complaints with state regulators against marijuana-related businesses that aren’t licensed by state law.”
The City of Denver plans to file a complaint against marijuana shops that are not licensed by the city. Some politicians in the city want to regulate marijuana by the same standards that regulate alcohol and cigarettes.
If you’re a visitor planning on taking some of Denver’s finest plants home with you, forget about it. DIAPARK officials ban the possession of marijuana for recreational purposes on the 53-square-mile airport property.
Denver International Airport, which has seen citations for many safety issues in the past, was one of the first U.S. airports to allow recreational marijuana sales. Today, DIA Airport Parking security is so tight that Denver International hasn’t seen any significant state-to-state paraphernalia moved since January 2014.
The police and civil rights officials say there is no evidence of any “very serious” incidents at Denver International. “There are a lot of people who smoke marijuana here,” said Scott Belsky, an airport spokesman. “When anything goes wrong, it’s a local issue.” Denver’s officials and authorities urge visitors to please use common sense and respect Denver’s citizens.
