Say Hello To Cannabis Cafes In Denver - Voters Approve Social Use Program

Denverites will soon be able to enjoy cannabis in designated public places thanks to the passing of Ballot Measure 300 - or theNeighborhood-Supported Cannabis Consumption Pilot Program (NSCCPP) - on Nov. 8.

What this means going forwardis that regular businesses like bars and cafes will be able to offer indoor or outdoor cannabis consumption under certain conditions; one being that they must receive approval from a neighborhood group, like a city-registered neighborhood organization or business improvement district, who would then be able to offer input on operations.

Mark Malone, executive director of the Cannabis Business Alliance, said the decision once again [positions] Denver as a leader in cannabis legalization.

This initiative not only creates safe and regulated spaces for consumption, it also requires establishments who want to provide public settings for cannabis consumers to engage their community before acquiring a permit, said Malone.

The importance of community approval is imperative if we are going to work together to better our communities in a world of legal cannabis. By creating safe spaces for consumption, we are effectively taking open cannabis consumption off the streets and into social, yet private settings.

In a previous interview with Civilized, Kayvan Khalatbari of the NSCCPP said the cannabis industry is thrown under the bus quite a bit here in Denver for things that it really has no involvement in creating a detriment to."

Khalatbari continued, "this is just kind of a way to get ahead of that and say, Fine, you think were ...