Last updated : December 23, 2024
“Sweet!” you say? “Mary Jane, be she medical or recreational, is legal in the Centennial State, so sky high’s the limit,” you chuckle? Man, we really hate to be a downer, but you might want to open a window and suck in a lungful of fresh air, because you’re going to want to pay attention here. Colorado’s pot picture may not be as rosy as you thought.
Granted, marijuana has been legal in Colorado since January 2014, but it still matters how much, when, and where you can use. As a matter of fact, if you float across certain lines, you can still get cited, fined, or spend time behind bars. Ergo, it pays to know where the lines are drawn, right? You bet. So listen up.
Just like in real estate, location matters. Same goes when it comes to toking or tasting ganja in Colorado. Public use is strictly verboten, and by public the state means in transportation facilities, schools, entertainment venues, parks, playgrounds, sidewalks and roads, and outdoor and rooftop cafes. Indoor public places like bars, restaurants, and common areas in buildings are likewise off limits.
Plus, the codes vary from city to city and county to county. The burden for knowing what’s allowed weed-wise where you happen to be at any given moment falls on you.
If you think that’s confusing, check this out: Schools, universities, and employers can add their own penalties for pot abuse. The down-and-dirty fact is, medical or not, legal on the state level or not, employers can and do invoke the federal prohibition on marijuana use. You. Could. Lose. Your. Job. People have.
Finally, if where you are at any given moment happens to be federal property—that would include national parks, monuments, many ski runs, and even a few buildings—it pays to remember pot is still an illegal Schedule 1 drug in Uncle Sam’s eyes. First-offense possession will net you a $1,000 fine and 15 days in the clink, with each subsequent offense increasing your pain.
Oh, and unless you have a state-issued red card you got on the recommendation of your doctor, you can forget claiming your recreational weed as medicine. Even if your pot is medically prescribed, you still can’t use it in public, or in a way that might endanger others—like, say, if you’ll shortly be operating machinery or climbing behind the wheel.
Speaking of which, you do know weed and DUI go together like peanut butter and jelly, yes? If you’ve got 5 nanograms or more of THC per milliliter in your blood, that’s a DUI. What happens after you’re pulled over depends on where you are, your nanogram number, and your level of impairment, but you’re liable to be looking at fines, jail time, and/or a revoked license.
Maybe you don’t live in Colorado itself, but in a neighboring state. Maybe you figure you’ll just slip across the state line and buy yourself a Rocky Mountain high. Well, you can do that, but unlike state residents, you can’t buy a full ounce, only a quarter ounce at a time. Plus, you’ve got to smoke it where you got it, because transporting even a quarter ounce across state lines is illegal.
If you’re thinking to get around the limits by asking a Colorado friend to send you a care package, you’re going to want to think again. That’s illegal, too, and the U.S. Postal Service is already onto that gambit—in 2014 postal inspectors intercepted 320 pot parcels.
These legalities are the tip of the iceberg. Penalties for violating legal statutes on amount possessed, number of plants grown, and sales/export/distribution range from minor fines to steep ones, from citations to hard time. So you might want to do your research before counting on lighting up.
