Do you think that the legalization of recreational marijuana will make Colorado a big tourist destination? (Denver: ski resorts, 2014)

[Mountainbluebear]

I have been seeing a lot of talk about this, and I believe that it will boost much of Colorado's tourism. I know that tourism currently plays a huge role in Colorado's economy, with it's ski resorts and openness.

Could Colorado become the American Amsterdam?

[BarryK123]

No. It's readily available everywhere.

[jazzlover]

I've beaten the federal illegality of the Colorado legalization amendment to death on this forum, so I will leave that alone here.

What I will say is that I agree with BarryK123 on the Amendment's potential positive effect on Colorado tourism. There will be very little. There will also be a number of anti-marijuana people who will avoid Colorado as a tourist destination. Colorado is already being called "The Pothead State" by a lot of people in other parts of the country--with that not being a positive statement about Colorado in their view.

There are far more threatening clouds around the Colorado tourist economy than the marijuana issue: shrinking discretionary spending capability in the most of the middle class, the increasingly negative perception about Colorado's mountain scenery due to the ever-worsening pine beetle epidemic in the state, long-term trends escalating fuel prices, a long-term demographic shift away from outdoor recreation, etc.

[Timmyy]

I believe you will see an initial boost of tourism at the beginning but after that the novelty will have worn out.

[sammy87]

I'm not quite up to speed on the laws, but as far as I know, you can not smoke weed in public, and there are no bars or restraunts where you can smoke correct? So if you come out here for pot, you can buy it, but can only consume it in your hotel? Not exactly Amsterdam.

[Florida2014]

Originally Posted by sammy87

and there are no bars or restraunts where you can smoke correct?

Technically it could be legal to smoke in a bar if the bar is accepting; however, it looks like the first attempt at this fizzled out due to pressure from the City of Denver: City pressures nightclub to cancel private pot party | KDVR.com

[CosmicWizard]

The cost of travelling these days ain't cheap. I don't imagine that many people will come to Colorado primarily for legal cannabis, except those who live close to the state line in a bordering state.

[sammy87]

Originally Posted by Florida2014

Technically it could be legal to smoke in a bar if the bar is accepting; however, it looks like the first attempt at this fizzled out due to pressure from the City of Denver: City pressures nightclub to cancel private pot party | KDVR.com

If you can't smoke cigarettes anywhere any more in public, I cant see weed being an exception.

[CosmicWizard]

jazzlover wrote: I've beaten the federal illegality of the Colorado legalization amendment to death on this forum,

Yes you have.


so I will leave that alone here.

Thank you.

[davidv]

Originally Posted by sammy87

I'm not quite up to speed on the laws, but as far as I know, you can not smoke weed in public, and there are no bars or restraunts where you can smoke correct? So if you come out here for pot, you can buy it, but can only consume it in your hotel? Not exactly Amsterdam.

Originally Posted by Florida2014

Technically it could be legal to smoke in a bar if the bar is accepting; however, it looks like the first attempt at this fizzled out due to pressure from the City of Denver: City pressures nightclub to cancel private pot party | KDVR.com

Originally Posted by sammy87

If you can't smoke cigarettes anywhere any more in public, I cant see weed being an exception.

Marijuana smoke was added to the Colorado Indoor Clean Air Act in 2010. The same prohibitions apply to marijuana smoke as to cigarette smoke. This means you may not smoke in restaurants, bars, etc. I don't see hotels catering to the marijuana crowd either as the smell will permeate the rooms, curtains, carpet, etc.

While you may smoke a cigarette in public places, smoking marijuana in public places is expressly prohibited by Amendment 64. The writers of Amendment 64 marketed the the legalization as treating marijuana like alcohol, and then they added several prohibitions to smoking marijuana into the amendment that are more stringent than those for alcohol. It is another classic example of people voting for a title and not reading the fine print.