Colorado's Cannabis Conundrum: Marijuana Everywhere, but Not a Spot to Smoke
For visitors to Colorado, legally buying marijuana is easy; legally consuming it, not so much. In my latest Forbes column, I explain why tourists in Colorado, where marijuana has been legal for recreational use since 2012, still have to smoke pot on the sly. Here is how it starts:
For cannabis consumers who are accustomed to the black market's meager selection and iffy quality, Colorado's dispensaries are a revelation: dozens of strains, each with a distinctive bouquet, fresh enough that you can actually smell the difference. Denver-area budtenders, who say tourists account for half or more of their business, are used to amazed reactions, reminiscent of the scene in Moscow on the Hudson where Robin Williams, playing a Soviet defector, encounters an American supermarket for the first time. But once a visitor settles on a gram of Budderface or a quarter-ounce of Cinderella 99, he has a problem: Where can he smoke it? State and local restrictions have made answering that question a much bigger challenge than it needs to be.