How These New Laws will Affect Colorado’s Cannabis Industry

Posted by Toker Grace on Feb 19, 2020 10:15:36 AM

Colorado is often regarded as one of the pioneering states for medicinal and recreational consumption and sales of cannabis. The legal state of cannabis in Colorado is closing in on its 1st decade. Similar to any other catalyzing legislation, cannabis statutes are perpetually changing. Fortunately for the state of Colorado and its cannabis consumers, the laws are becoming universal while making cannabis more accessible to the adult citizens of Colorado. Here is what you need to know about House Bill 1230 as well as House Bill 1234.

House Bill 1230

One of the first bills to take effect this year, known as House Bill 1230, is a bill that will bring something new to Colorado’s cannabis scene. The bill, formally known as HB19-1230, sponsored by state representatives Alex Valdez, Vicki Marble, Julie Gonzolez, and Jovan Melton states the following:

“[This] act establishes requirements and prohibitions for the new hospitality spaces and requires the state licensing authority to promulgate rules governing the new marijuana hospitality establishment licenses and hospitality spaces.” (source: Colorado General Assembly)

House Bill 1230 & Colorado’s Cannabis Hospitality Culture

As the bill states, Colorado will be changing its approach to cannabis hospitality mostly for the better. Individual businesses will now be allowed to create designated cannabis consumption areas on sight. However, these businesses will not be allowed to sell cannabis on the premises. Instead, cannabis consumers will have to bring their own buds to smoke. Before House Bill 1230, cannabis consumers of Colorado were not permitted to smoke cannabis virtually anywhere outside of their own home. This bill will allow establishments to, well, allow cannabis consumption in a designated area of the business. The reason this was not allowed up until this year was solely due to Colorado’s Clean Air Act, which virtually outlawed any smoking in establishments.

House Bill 1234

Despite the bill number sounding made up, House Bill 1234 will change the cannabis culture in Colorado forever. HB19-1234, sponsored by pro-cannabis state representatives Johnathan Singer, Alex Valdez, Julie Gonzolez, and Vicki Marble, states the following:

“[This] act creates marijuana delivery permits for licensed medical marijuana centers and transporters and licensed retail marijuana stores and transporters that allow the centers, stores, and transporters to deliver medical marijuana, medical marijuana-infused products, retail marijuana, and retail marijuana products to customers.” (source: Colorado General Assembly)

The Importance and Expected Impact of HB 1234

As aforementioned, House Bill 1234 will allow the delivery of cannabis and cannabis-infused products to the front door of patients. Before the implementation of HB 1234, the black market for cannabis delivery was thriving. Some dispensaries risked their license and reputation by attempting to deliver cannabis to adults who were in dire need of bud for their medical ailments with no physical way to travel to a dispensary. In 2020, this issue will be a thing of the past. Medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries will now be allowed to provide the appropriate adult individuals with cannabis right to their front door. Now, let’s see which dispensary will implement a ‘cannabis in 30 minutes or its free’ clause…

How New Legislation will Increase Cannabis Sales in Colorado

According to Forbes, the cannabis industry is expected to generate $200 billion within the next decade.  A considerable portion of this amount is guaranteed to be from in Colorado. However, these numbers were generated without the foresight of implementing new legislation geared towards cannabis delivery as well as cannabis hospitality. It is also worth noting that cities in Colorado will have the ability to not enact House Bill 1230 or 1234 in their respective municipalities.