Denver City Council To Hear About Pot Near Schools, Bag Fees

DENVER (CBS4) - The push to keep recreational marijuana away from schools and a proposed fee for shoppers who use plastic grocery bags will be topics of the Denver City Council Monday evening.

A proposal in the works would make it illegal to smoke pot within 1,000 feet of schools, even on private property.

Similar rules were put into effect when medical marijuana stores opened. While those rules were focused on the sellers, the new rules are for the users of marijuana.

The council is trying to define what is public and private use of the drug. They'll consider bans on the consumption and display of marijuana.

Councilors will also vote to make a marijuana charge for minors a civil violation instead of a criminal one.

Just how the city wants to implement legal marijuana has been a source of contention for months. A previous proposal that redefined what public consumption of marijuana is was torn apart by the council and panned my marijuana advocates.

Monday's vote also comes as the city launched a new website outlining the rules for the retail sale.

LINK: MarijuanaInfoDenver.org

One council member is expected to ask for a 90-day delay on a proposed fee for shoppers who use plastic grocery bags.

A vote was planned for Monday for charging five cents per bag. Now Councilwoman Debbie Ortega says she wants to work with makers of the bag to develop better recycling techniques.