Denver Votes to Allow Pot in Bars and Restaurants

A measure that would allow pot in Denver’s bars and restaurants appears to have enough votes to pass, although the numbers are close.

As the final votes of the 2016 election are counted, it appears that measure I-300, which would allow marijuana use in the city's bars and restaurants, has a big enough margin not to fail. Opponents of the bill, such as the group Protect Denver’s Atmosphere, were not hopeful they would prevail in preventing the bill from passing, Reuters reported.

The measure specifically permits private businesses to allow adults to use marijuana in designated areas and has some exceptions.

Denver would be the first city in the U.S. to allow social use of pot legally. Similar plans are underway in other states, but are not as close to passage as the Denver initiative, which could be implemented as soon as January, a proponent of the measure said to Reuters.

Opponents of the measure such as Protect Denver’s Atmosphere Campaign Manager Rachel O’Bryan are concerned about second-hand smoke and other public safety issues, like driving while under the influence and whether making social pot legal will encourage more teens to use the drug. O’Bryan wants the Denver city council and the state’s Attorney General to scrutinize the law to make sure it doesn’t conflict with provisions in state law that prohibit public marijuana use.

Since the law allowing recreational marijuana use was passed in Colorado, a study showed that marijuana use actually went down slightly among high school age teens, according to Reuters. Currently, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., also allow recreational pot use, and three more states — California, Massachusetts, and Nevada — all voted last week to legalize it.

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