Dear Stoner: I'm about to visit Denver, and it's the first time I'll be in a state with legal weed since I began smoking. Are your hotels sticklers about no smoking and marijuana policies? If so, should I look for somewhere that's weed-friendly?
Ostrich Burger
Ostrich Burger: This is a common question from Denver visitors, and you would think we'd have a solid answer for you more than ten years after recreational cannabis was legalized in Colorado. But the "legal" choices are slim.
For starters, just about every hotel has a no smoking or vaping policy, including cannabis, and Denver's local pot hospitality rules are very strict on any interested businesses. A boutique hotel in Capitol Hill, the Patterson Inn, was approved to open an indoor cannabis lounge, but the owner is still trying to secure his permit from the city, which has implimented some tough ventilation requirements.
The Arrowhead Manor, a boutique hotel in Morrison, allows guests to smoke weed in the outdoor patio, and will book a cannabis-infused chef upon request. Any licensed and open option requires planning and traveling, however, and isn't conducive to a quick toke.
Your best bets are short-term rentals that allow cannabis or don't mention it in the description, a hotel with a balcony or open windows, or walking around the block with a joint. You risk a small fine at worst, but chances are you'll be able to conceal it. There are more important factors than cannabis policies when choosing a hotel, though. An option to make you sleep better: You could visit one of two licensed and open cannabis lounges in the Denver area — the Coffee Joint or JAD's Mile High Smoke — or set up a trip with one of three operating mobile lounges in the city.
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