Pot Bill Advances Without Private Club Exemption
DENVER (AP) - One of two marijuana regulation bills pending in the Colorado Legislature won initial approval in the state Senate Wednesday.
Senators rejected a controversial proposal to amend the bill to clarify that private, adults-only marijuana clubs be exempted from clean indoor air requirements. The proposal would treat pot clubs like cigar clubs, allowing members to share and use weed inside as long as they're not selling the drug.
The club proposal had supporters and opponents from both parties. Some argued that the clubs exist now and that Colorado should allow private use of a drug it has already made legal. But the proposal was rejected amid concerns it would give the state a black eye and invite a federal pot crackdown.
The remainder of bill concerns largely non-controversial regulatory procedure. One more Senate vote is required before the bill heads to the House.
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