{"id":7233,"date":"2017-02-23T22:08:48","date_gmt":"2017-02-23T22:08:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/?p=2539613"},"modified":"2017-02-23T22:08:48","modified_gmt":"2017-02-23T22:08:48","slug":"denver-social-marijuana-advisory-group-works-through-details-but-disagrees-about-alcohol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/denver-social-marijuana-advisory-group-works-through-details-but-disagrees-about-alcohol\/","title":{"rendered":"Denver social marijuana advisory group works through details \u2014 but disagrees about alcohol"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/denver-social-marijuana-advisory-group-works-through-details-but-disagrees-about-alcohol\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><p>Denver city officials have brought together a disparate group to advise them on how to implement the city\u2019s first-of-its-kind social marijuana use permit program. When the panel met this week, the gaps between competing interests were hard to miss.<\/p>\n<p>Neighborhood advocates and others wary of open marijuana consumption pressed during a two-hour discussion\u00a0Wednesday for concrete restrictions on a number of fronts for Initiative 300-authorized consumption areas. Businesses\u00a0will be able to apply later this year for city permits\u00a0to create set-off, 21-and-over areas where customers can consume their own cannabis.<\/p>\n<p>But among marijuana legalization activists on the panel, a\u00a0chief sponsor of Initiative 300 said that while he was looking to compromise, he could only move so far. Emmett Reistroffer from Denver Relief Consulting, who led the pro-300 campaign, warned that too many changes could make the new law unrecognizable to voters.<\/p>\n<p>Already, he and other backers are fighting in court to reverse a new state liquor license rule that will bar alcohol-serving establishments from seeking the new permits.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related right\" \/>\n<p>\u201cThere were roughly 170,000 Denver voters who voted for this initiative, and I\u2019m the only one sitting up here really representing the \u2018yes\u2019 side,\u201d he said. \u201cI just don\u2019t want that whole wall to fill up with suggestions here and then I have to figure out: How does all of that fit into the intent of what these voters approved?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rachel O\u2019Bryan,\u00a0who managed the anti-Initiative 300 campaign \u2014 and now also serves\u00a0on the city\u2019s advisory group \u2014 replied:\u00a0\u201cI just want to say on the record: 150,000 voted against it,\u201d including majorities in some outlying council districts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo there is a significant portion of the city that didn\u2019t want to see this \u2014 and now that it\u2019s going forward, I\u2019m sure they want to see it incredibly, carefully, thoughtfully regulated,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>And so it went during the third meeting of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denvergov.org\/content\/denvergov\/en\/denver-business-licensing-center\/marijuana-licenses\/social-consumption-advisory-committee.html\">the Social Consumption Advisory Committee<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sitting in on Denver social <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/marijuana?src=hash\">#marijuana<\/a> consumption advisory committee today. Some starkly differing perspectives here. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GgIFi0njNA\">pic.twitter.com\/GgIFi0njNA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jon Murray (@JonMurray) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JonMurray\/status\/834452162994270208\">February 22, 2017<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Ultimately, city officials will make the final call on the regulations. As they seek input, they are leaning on an advisory committee whose members\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2017\/01\/06\/social-marijuana-use-supporters-opponents-advocates\/\">come from a range of perspectives<\/a>\u00a0that also include marijuana industry representatives and other vocal opponents\u00a0of Initiative 300.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s by design, said\u00a0Ashley Kilroy, Denver\u2019s longtime marijuana policy director and now its licensing director.\u00a0She observed that the dynamic of hotly competing viewpoints that was on exhibit more strongly during the third meeting\u00a0came after the first two dealt with less controversial regulatory details that produced more consensus.<\/p>\n<p>Already, participants have brought up issues and concerns that weren\u2019t on her radar, which was one of her motivations in selecting the wide-ranging group. \u201cWe also picked people who we thought would be vocal \u2026 but would be able to do that respectfully,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The advisory group has disagreed to varying degrees on\u00a0how to ensure\u00a0consumption areas aren\u2019t too close to where children regularly gather, how much training permitted businesses should give employees on recognizing and dealing with intoxication, and how stringent the city should be about odor control.<\/p>\n<p>But they have found some common ground, typically on more mundane issues such as location restrictions, which draw on the city\u2019s previous experience regulating the liquor and marijuana industries.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Excise and Licenses <a href=\"http:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2016\/12\/04\/denver-businesses-social-marijuana\/\">has said it could begin accepting businesses\u2019 applications<\/a> for Initiative 300 permits sometime this summer. First, though, city\u00a0licensing officials are aiming to finalize proposed regulations in coming months.<\/p>\n<p>Other considerations could weigh on their decisions, including the prospect of new state legislation on marijuana. And they also are keeping an eye on signals from the federal government, which through White House spokesman\u00a0Sean Spicer <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecannabist.co\/2017\/02\/23\/sean-spicer-marijuana-medical-recreational-trump-administration\/74255\/\">loosely signaled Thursday that a heavier hand could be in the offing<\/a> when it comes to enforcement against\u00a0states\u2019 recreational marijuana laws.<\/p>\n<h3>The contours of Initiative 300<\/h3>\n<p>Initiative 300, which 53.6 percent of city voters approved in the November election, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2016\/11\/08\/initiative-300-denver-social-cannabis-use\/\">requires the creation of a four-year pilot program<\/a>. Most businesses, including cafes and even yoga studios, will be able to seek one-year or event-based permits for separate consumption areas indoors or outdoors (for smoking).<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0initiative included several initial stipulations, including some geared toward safety and limiting children\u2019s exposure.<\/p>\n<p>Importantly, it\u00a0requires that permit-seekers first obtain backing from a single local neighborhood or business group \u2014 which gives the outside group a chance to influence operating conditions and set more stipulations.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2241049\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\" lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/denver-social-marijuana-advisory-group-works-through-details-but-disagrees-about-alcohol\" alt=\"Owners Matt Megyesi, left, and Jim Norris pose for a portrait outside of Mutiny Information Cafe on South Broadway. They intend to apply for a social marijuana use permit once the city's Department of Excise and Licenses works out the particulars of how to implement Initiative 300.\" width=\"5189\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\n<p>Anya Semenoff, Special to The Denver Post<\/p>\n<p>Owners Matt Megyesi, left, and Jim Norris pose for a portrait outside of Mutiny Information Cafe on South Broadway. They intend to apply for a social marijuana use permit once the city\u2019s Department of Excise and Licenses works out the particulars of how to implement Initiative 300.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Still a big issue: mixing alcohol and pot<\/h3>\n<p>A complicating wrench has been thrown into the advisory committee\u2019s discussions in the form of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/338920558-denver-neighborhood-supported-social-co-et-al-vs-colo-dept-of-revenue-et-al-1.pdf\">a recent lawsuit<\/a> lobbed at the state by plaintiffs including Reistroffer, marijuana entrepreneur Kayvan Khalatbari and his Sexy Pizza chain, and the Initiative 300 committee.<\/p>\n<p>The suit, filed Feb. 3, challenges\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2016\/11\/18\/bars-cant-seek-new-denver-social-marijuana-use-permits-allowed-by-initiative-300\/\">a new Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division rule<\/a> that bars liquor licensees from allowing\u00a0the consumption of marijuana on their premises \u2014 effectively keeping them from participating in Denver\u2019s new permit program.<\/p>\n<p>Aubrey Lavizzo\u00a0from the\u00a0La Alma Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association said having a lawsuit plaintiff at the table violated the spirit of the advisory committee. He said the committee faces enough challenges as it helps city officials\u00a0navigate uncharted waters.<\/p>\n<p>For now, the prospect of bars or other alcohol-serving establishments seeking Denver\u2019s new permits is moot because of the state\u2019s rule.<\/p>\n<p>But the committee broached the subject Wednesday in a spirited discussion.\u00a0Denver licensing director Ashley Kilroy said the committee would have the option of recommending a Denver-specific rule on \u201cdual consumption\u201d if it chose, to ensure certainty in case the lawsuit succeeds or Colorado\u2019s rules change.<\/p>\n<p>Reistroffer made clear why he and other backers view the issue as important: People already smoke or consume marijuana at concerts and in bars, even if it\u2019s illegal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe intent of the initiative was clearly to keep places like entertainment and music venues in mind,\u201d he said, since their main offering is live music or performances. \u201cThey (also) serve liquor. This doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they are going to be serving liquor at the same time as cannabis \u2014 they could have a special event for cannabis. But under the liquor rule, that\u2019s completely taken out of the equation.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2540870\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_fullbleed\"><img class=\" lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/denver-social-marijuana-advisory-group-works-through-details-but-disagrees-about-alcohol-1\" alt=\"Wall notes at MJ committee\" width=\"3122\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\n<p>Jon Murray, The Denver Post<\/p>\n<p>Notes recorded during a Feb. 22 meeting of Denver\u2019s Social Marijuana Advisory Committee are grouped on the wall of the meeting room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But who should decide, if Denver gets the chance to allow liquor licensees to participate?<\/p>\n<p>Reistroffer suggested a permit-backing neighborhood association would be best suited, since it could set conditions on the level of commingling it deems appropriate for that area of the city.<\/p>\n<p>Others disagreed, with Lavizzo among\u00a0community representatives who argued that the city might be best suited to make a blanket rule on such a complex topic that they saw as sure to be met with resistance by skeptics of Initiative 300.<\/p>\n<p>Still more distinguished between an open rule for liquor-serving businesses and what might be a more narrow \u201csingle consumption\u201d stance. That would force liquor-serving businesses to choose between allowing alcohol or marijuana on a given day, or for special events.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is huge,\u201d said Margie Valdez of Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, \u201cand I would hate to see us try to resolve the issue in a 20-minute or 10-minute conversation, because\u00a0it really does present a huge problem for residents and neighborhoods in Denver.\u201d She sighed: \u201cAye-Yi-Yi.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>What comes next?<\/h3>\n<p>The advisory committee didn\u2019t come close to resolving the question. In the end, if the state\u2019s rule changes or is struck down, the issue could be up to the Denver City Council or licensing officials to resolve.<\/p>\n<p>Three more meetings of the panel are set, on March 10, March 24 and April 6. All start at 9 a.m. and are in the same fourth-floor room in the downtown\u00a0Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building.<\/p>\n<p>This spring, once licensing officials propose rules governing Initiative 300, the city plans to have a public hearing to get further input before adoption. Kilroy said the working group also will get a chance to respond to the document that results in part from its discussions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been very valuable for me to hear from all these different voices,\u201d she said, \u201cso that when our staff is ready to take all this information and distill it, we feel that we\u2019ve heard all the different perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At its midpoint, Denver&#8217;s social marijuana use advisory group has faced disagreements over some issues as the city works to implement voter-passed Initiative 300. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5062,6811,6847,6861,6813,77,5577,6886,9,5019,441,1,3,61,1736],"tags":[5063,6816,6850,6862,6818,2655,5580,6889,5022,3015],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7233"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7233"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7233\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}