Pubdate: Thu, 02 Jan 2014
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2014 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Note: Rarely prints out-of-state LTEs.
Author: Jenny Deam, Special to Tribune Newspapers

BUYERS ON HIGH IN COLORADO

After Waiting Years, Crowds Eager for Sale of Recreational Pot

DENVER - At 7:59 a.m. Wednesday, a harried Jay Griffin shouted to the 
crowd pressed against the roped off lines leading to his storefront 
counter: "One minute until we make history!"

Sixty seconds later, he and a handful of other pot shop retailers 
opened a new and closely watched chapter in the national debate over 
legalizing marijuana when Colorado became the first state in the 
country where small amounts of recreational pot can be legally sold 
in specialty stores.

Steve "Heyduke" Judish, a 58-year-old retired federal worker from 
Denver who prefers weed to booze, was the first customer of the day 
at Dank Colorado - a tiny shop tucked in a Denver industrial 
district. At the opening about 40 customers from as far away as Iowa 
and Minnesota had waited for hours.

After a quiet start in the morning, lines swelled in the late 
afternoon under the close watch of security guards.

City officials commented that even though lines at some stores snaked 
into the streets in chilly weather, the crowds were remarkably 
patient and, yes, mellow - a mix of young and old, mostly men.

Judish peeled off $30 and walked away with one-eighth of an ounce of 
Larry OG, a potent strain of marijuana that connoisseurs like for its 
euphoric rush. He had put his name on a list to be first in line 14 
hours earlier.

But really, he has been waiting 40 years for this legal buy.

"It's cool to be part of history," he said with a grin.

Not far behind him was Doug Little, 62, who had arrived in the 
pre-dawn darkness. He, too, felt the baby boomer tug of history.

"I smoked my first joint in 1969 in a dorm room at Michigan State. I 
never thought I would see this in my lifetime."

"Hi buddy, you got your ID?" Griffin asked as Little approached.

"I'd like a quarter Trainwreck and a quarter Sour Diesel," Little 
said of the partial ounce purchases, rattling off the strains like a 
sommelier at a wine tasting. "The names are crazy," he admitted. His 
tab came to $169.57.

In November 2012, Colorado voters approved Amendment 64, making it 
legal for residents over 21 to buy small amounts of recreational 
marijuana. Washington state voters also passed a similar measure, but 
officials there say it will be later this year before they are ready 
to open stores.

Yet despite the excitement in retail shops, there were critics. Kevin 
Sabet, co-founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, called Wednesday 
"the beginning of the era of Big Marijuana not unlike what we saw in 
this country with Big Tobacco."

"This is an industry that makes money off addiction," he said, adding 
that he is concerned that children will be targeted and swayed into 
thinking marijuana is harmless. He vowed to continue the fight 
against legalization in other states. "We don't think legalization is 
inevitable."

While marijuana remains illegal on the federal level - which 
typically trumps state law - the Department of Justice in August 
issued a memo saying federal authorities should not pursue 
prosecution for recreational pot in Colorado and Washington.

Internationally, Uruguay has approved state-sanctioned marijuana 
sales, but the stores are not yet up and running. The Netherlands has 
long had an informal decriminalization policy, and patrons can buy 
marijuana products in Amsterdam coffee shops.

Still, Colorado is thought to be the first jurisdiction in the world 
where marijuana is openly sold in specialty pot shops and tracked by 
the government from seed to store.

The Colorado venture is being closely watched by other states 
considering loosening their pot laws.

A number of states have already allowed medical use of marijuana.

In Colorado, residents now can buy up to an ounce of marijuana at a 
time. Residents with an out-of-state ID can buy up to one-quarter 
ounce. Buyers are not restricted from shopping from store to store - 
although under state law they are only allowed to possess up to 1 
ounce at a time.

Possession of more than 1 but less than 8 ounces of marijuana is a 
misdemeanor and carries fines up to $5,000 and up to 18 months in 
jail. It is a felony to possess more than 8 ounces, and fines can be 
as high as $100,000 and up to three years in prison.

The list of don'ts is lengthy under state and local laws:

Smoking inside a public building is a violation of the Colorado Clean 
Indoor Air Act, which also prohibits marijuana clubs or salons 
similar to cigar bars. Smoking in public outdoor spaces - including 
parks, ski resorts, national parks and forests - is also off limits.

Driving while impaired is prohibited, as is transporting marijuana 
over state lines by car or plane.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom