Pubdate: Thu, 28 Apr 2016
Source: Westword (Denver, CO)
Column: Ask a Stoner
Copyright: 2016 Village Voice Media
Contact: http://www.westword.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
Website: http://www.westword.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1616
Author: Herbert Fuego

DEAR STONER: CAN I TAKE EDIBLES TO A WORK PARTY?

Dear Stoner: Why did the annual 4/20 rally (the one with Lil Wayne 
and Wiz, canceled on April 16) have to jump through so many obstacles 
for a permit, but the stoner fest at Civic Center on April 20 was just fine?

Scott

Dear Scott: The Official 4/20 Rally isn't just a group of potheads 
coming together; it comes with vendor booths, food carts and musical 
performances, and it requires tickets to get in, with some of the VIP 
tickets costing significant amounts of money. Because of all those 
commercial factors, the City of Denver considers it a "special 
event," so the event's organizers must register with the city for 
permits to hold the rally at Civic Center Park every year. And it's 
not just one or two permits that are needed: After notifying the 
surrounding neighborhood of the event, organizers must obtain permits 
from the Denver Fire Department, the Denver Police Department, Excise 
and Licenses and the Department of Environmental Health - and that's 
just the first four, with more to go after that. Unfortunately for 
everyone on April 16, Mother Nature doesn't issue permits.

The smoke-out you saw at Civic Center on April 20 might have looked 
like a special event because of how many people were there, but it 
was not considered one by the city. There were no vendors (anyone 
trying to sell soda or munchies was promptly kicked out by police or 
park rangers that day), concerts or anyone making money from the 
meet-up, so no permit was required. This is still a free country, and 
people are allowed to congregate in public spaces.

Dear Stoner: Can I bring edibles to a work party?

Daisy

Dear Daisy: You can give edibles away to any consenting adult over 21 
in Colorado, but the workplace is a sketchy place to do it - 
depending on where you work. If yours is a small, intimate company 
with no policy against marijuana and you're extremely comfortable 
with your co-workers, then maybe. Even though handing out cocktails 
at a work party is pretty standard, weed edibles are treated 
differently, and they should be. While it's easy to measure the 
effects of two or three cocktails pretty quickly after drinking them, 
some edibles can take up to two hours to kick in, and not many people 
have a good gauge of their edibles tolerance. If your office is cool 
with you bringing space cakes for the party, I'd advise against 
letting people drive home after eating them - and by all means, make 
sure everyone knows that the treats are infused.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom