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Marijuana users, rejoice: Denver might loosen regulations on where pot smokers can toke up once recreational use is legalized on January 1.
A list of rules received preliminary approval from the city council on Tuesday after weeks of debate over household smoke setups. The Denver Post reports that, under the proposed bill, marijuana consumption would be “illegal everywhere unless on private property that you own, lease or rent, or have been given approval to consume by the owner.”
Civil libertarians were worked up over an earlier version of the bill that would have made it illegal to smoke marijuana in homes if they were “visible from public space.” The regulation would have even extended to fenced-in back yards.
While the revised bill loosens rules on marijuana consumption, it prohibits “display” or distribution of marijuana on the 16th Street Mall, streets near the mall, and in city parks. The Post reports that any violation of the law would be “noncriminal” and would carry penalties up to $999.
A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for November 25 and a final vote will be taken December 2.
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