Pot hospitality measure in Aurora flames out, could reemerge after November election
Aurora’s prolonged effort to be one of the first cities in Colorado to allow marijuana lounges and mobile pot tour buses was defeated for a final time this week on a 5-4 vote.
But because of a parliamentary maneuver by Councilman Juan Marcano, who favors the measure but voted against it Monday night, the issue could come back before city council after Nov. 2, when several members are up for reelection.
Marcano cast the contrarian vote so that he wouldn’t potentially create a tie, which under Aurora’s charter means defeat for an ordinance. A defeat by tie vote also means the measure can’t be resurrected for six months.
“My intent is to bring back the cannabis equity ordinances after a new council is sworn in and we can (hopefully) get away from reefer madness scaremongering,” Marcano wrote on Twitter.
My intent is to bring back the cannabis equity ordinances after a new council is sworn in and we can (hopefully) get away from reefer madness scaremongering. Using parliamentary procedure for the advancement of equity is something I am more than comfortable doing. #AuroraCO
— Councilmember Juan Marcano (@Marcano4Aurora) September 28, 2021
The pot hospitality ordinance, which would have allowed customers to consume weed in smoking lounges or on organized bus tours, was initially approved 6-3 by the politically divided council on first reading in August. Two weeks ago, it went down in a 5-5 vote.
Denver passed pot tourism rules in April, and will start taking applications for businesses in the fall.
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