Pubdate: Mon, 15 Jul 2013
Source: Castle Rock News-Press (CO)
Copyright: 2013 Our Colorado News
Contact:  http://www.ourcoloradonews.com/castlerock/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5447
Author: Virginia Grantier

IN CASTLE ROCK, PUBLIC POT-SMOKING TO BE PETTY OFFENSE

Smoking marijuana in public in Castle Rock will be dealt with
similarly to how police deal with open consumption of alcohol.

Castle Rock Town Clerk Sally Misare informed the Castle Rock City
Council July 2 that one of the major issues the Colorado Legislature
recently failed to address, regarding the state's new law legalizing
marijuana, was open and public consumption of pot - and so the town
police's department has decided to deal with such violations using
standards similar to what's in the town's liquor code.

Any incidents of possible public consumption will be handled on a
case-by-case basis by police officers, using "case-specific facts,"
Castle Rock Police Chief Jack Cauley said in a recent interview.

But, "you couldn't smoke a marijuana cigarette in public. That would
be prohibited," Cauley said.

Any person who violates that prohibition, which is considered a Class
2 petty offense, would upon conviction receive up to a $100 fine
and/or 15 days in jail, according to the town's municipal code.

The town is also heading the way of some others in not allowing the
licensing of marijuana clubs where people would be allowed to
congregate to smoke pot.

Misare told the council the town hasn't had any applications for such
a club. But when she asked if the town council wanted staff to draft a
proposed ordinance prohibiting those, councilmembers indicated they
wanted that done.

"That's absolutely something I would like us to take action on =C2=85,"
said Castle Rock Mayor Paul Donahue. "We do not want these clubs in
Castle Rock."

That action would be the latest in the town's effort to shield itself
from the effects of Colorado's Amendment 64, which voters passed last
year legalizing recreational marijuana use.

At a previous meeting, Castle Rock, like almost all local
jurisdictions in Douglas County, decided to use a provision in the new
state law that allows local jurisdictions to enact bans on commercial
marijuana use, meaning such things as retail marijuana shops and
commercial growing operations.

Douglas County was the state's first county to impose a commercial
ban, and Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Parker and, most recently, Castle
Pines, followed suit. Larkspur has imposed a moratorium until 2014,
waiting to see what rules and regulations the state imposes before
taking further action, Larkspur Town Manager Matt Krimmer said recently.
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MAP posted-by: Matt