Pubdate: Tue, 01 Mar 2016
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2016 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Jon Murray

POT-CLUB MEASURE'S SCOPE MORE LIMITED THAN LAST YEAR'S

Denver marijuana activists who hope to persuade city voters to 
legalize private pot clubs took the first step Monday by filing 
notice with the City Council.

Before the November election, the activist group has indicated it 
will pursue a narrow scope. Its proposed ballot measure would allow 
for the opening of private, bring-your-own-cannabis clubs that could 
not serve alcohol or food and would allow entry to people 21 or 
older, as some smaller towns in Colorado have allowed.

The initiative also would allow organizers of special events to seek 
a permit to allow consumption of marijuana on site.

That scope is more limited than the intent of an initiative sought 
last year by other activists. Their proposal was to allow consumption 
of cannabis at bars and other businesses that opted in. But the group 
pulled the initiative just before qualifying for the ballot after 
city officials as well as hotel and restaurant industry groups agreed 
to discuss potential compromises.

Those talks have yet to yield a public proposal.

Since then, the recently formed affiliate of NORML, which stands for 
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, has picked up 
the ball to take the issue to voters soon.

"Denver residents and visitors alike need places other than private 
homes to legally and responsibly enjoy legal marijuana with other 
adults," Jordan Person, executive director of Denver NORML, said in a 
news release Monday.

NORML delivered a summary Monday, but the council's review - 
including asking questions and suggesting changes-won't start until 
it submits proposed ordinance language. Person expects that to happen Tuesday.

"We're waiting to see the text, but it does appear to be narrower 
than the proposal we reviewed last summer," said David Broadwell, an 
assistant city attorney.

Next, the group would finalize the proposal, file it with the Denver 
Elections Division, and begin collecting nearly 5,000 petition signatures.

At the Capitol, Rep. Jonathan Singer, D- Longmont, is preparing a 
bill that would tackle the issue from another angle. It would allow 
recreational stores to create separate tasting rooms of sorts for 
customers to consume products bought on site.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom