The Search for a Place to Toke Up: New at Reason

Denver has a bunch of businesses where you can legally buy marijuana but none where you can legally use it. That is supposed to change under a local ballot initiative approved by voters last fall. But a statewide solution to Colorado’s cannabis consumption conundrum has been derailed by fears of a federal crackdown.

Amendment 64, the 2012 ballot initiative that made Colorado the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use, allows adults 21 and older to use it at home. But Amendment 64 does not apply to “consumption that is conducted openly and publicly,” which is a petty offense punishable by a $100 fine. Because the meaning of “openly and publicly” is a matter of dispute, finding places to enjoy the marijuana that has been sold by state-licensed retailers since 2014 remains a tricky proposition, writes Jacob Sullum.

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