A bill now in the Colorado Legislature would allow dispensary licensees across the state to establish social consumption establishments. The proposal was introduced late Monday, Feb. 26, after rumors had circulated for weeks.
Backed by dispensary chain Terrapin Care Station, HB 1258 has bipartisan sponsorship from Democratic representatives Jonathan Singer and Jovan Melton, Democratic Senator Stephen Fenberg and Republican Senator Tim Neville. It attempts to address Colorado's lingering social cannabis consumption issue by allowing medical and recreational dispensaries to add areas for pot use on their existing properties.
If passed, the bill would create the first statewide licensing program for cannabis consumption. The City of Denver is currently the only municipality in Colorado that licenses businesses for marijuana use, but the license requirements are geared more towards art and yoga studios, coffee shops and other traditional establishments. The provisions of HB 1258 would permit dispensary owners to add consumption areas to their existing licenses, which means that virtually all of these areas would be connected or very close to the cannabis shops themselves.
Customers could vaporize flower and concentrates, but no smoking would be allowed in the consumption areas in order to remain compliant with the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act. There would be limited sales permitted in the consumption areas of up to 3.5 grams of flower, 1 gram of concentrate; single-serving samples of infused products would also be allowed.
