COLORADO MARIJUANA ETIQUETTE

AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT POT ETIQUETTE IN COLORADO

Written by: Dr. Fatty Greenstone, Bm.F

 

It is important for anyone planning to visit Colorado, in order to enjoy and explore the recent decriminalization of recreational marijuana use, to recognize and respect the “pot culture” that exists here.

Before I go further into defining and expanding on said culture, I should point out that Bud has already compiled a brilliant and inspired set of guidelines for being stylish while getting high. These “rules” spell out very specifically some of the most important do’s and dont’s when it comes to smoking weed anywhere, with anybody. If you haven’t already familiarized yourself with these basic tenets of pot etiquette, please take the time to do so before leaving the site. Knowing and living the basics will help make better sense of the specifics the rest of this article will address.

“Pot culture” is, by design, loose terminology. I define pot culture as the sum of the attitudes, accepted social norms, practices, and standards of etiquette adhered to by the pot smokers of a specific community. Pretty much every community has it, and Colorado is no exception. Right now a huge number of stoners from around the world are stoked to come check out and support the Centennial State as we pioneer the movement to legalize weed. You may be one of them. I hope you are. I’m here to provide you with some quick tips to help you dig in and get along great with the locals once you’ve arrived.

 

GENERAL DISCRETION & RESPECT

Yes, buying and smoking weed is legal here. This notion may lead some to assume that Colorado has immediately become the next Amsterdam, rife with hashbars, coffeehouses and unlimited freedom to pursue personal pleasure. Well, surprise! Generally speaking we keep our cannabis consumption on the downlow, and in most towns it will stay that way. There are a handful of events and venues where a loud and proud approach to smoking pot is appropriate, even expected, but these would be very rare and very obvious. Coloradans are discreet about smoking weed. For a visitor, here are the basics:

– Don’t smoke it in public places

– Don’t holler about it where kids can hear you

– Don’t act like a stoned out moron

Pretty easy right? I did some asking around before I sat down to finish this piece, and my question to locals was: With the impending influx of pot tourists (marijuana travelers!) coming to Colorado in 2014, what advice would you give a visitor on how best to get on positively with the locals? Here’s one response that sums up the bulk of the feedback I received:

 

Be yourself. Don’t step on my toes. Enjoy life.

 

Most Coloradans are pretty cool. And there are heads everywhere. Most of us just aren’t into spotlighting our affinity for Cannabis.

 

OUR FIGHT, OUR VICTORY, SPOILS FOR ALL

Because the Colorado voters passed amendment 64 to legalize recreational use of Marijuana, one might assume that a large chunk of the population must smoke weed. And one would be right. Many, many Colorado citizens smoke pot. It’s deeply ingrained in the lifestyle here, and has much history. Another factor in the amendment’s passing is that Colorado is full of liberty-minded, forward thinking people. Medical marijuana has been legal here since 2000. And it’s pretty easy to get a card and get a prescription, as Marijuana has such a long list of diseases it can cure or at least counter. Most anyone could get access to MMJ. But you see, that wasn’t good enough for Coloradans, and here are some reasons why:

– Most of us believe it’s utterly ridiculous for a plant with proven health benefits to be illegal.

– We don’t like the government telling us what we can and can’t put in our bodies.

– Having your MMJ card meant giving up your rights to possess firearms. We’re not down with trading one liberty for another.

– We know how to smoke with style.

– And the list goes on…

The point is, we won this fight and freed the weed, for ourselves. We didn’t do it to become the next Amsterdam or some Vegas-y den of sin to exploit people’s love of MaryJane to rake in cheap thrills tourism money. The tourism and the revenue this will bring are by-products of us simply demanding our liberty.

So:

Respect and understand we did this for us.

We welcome you to share it with us! Open arms!

We expect you to respect our freedom and especially follow the laws regulating it.  For a quick guide to those rules and regs, check out Colorado Marijuana Laws Simplified.

 

ASSORTED, BUT UNSORTED TIPS

Not everyone here is a stoner! In fact, many Coloradans that enjoy pot do so in moderation and would find being classified as or called a stoner offensive. Assume nothing when you approach people. (It’s all good, there are plenty of stoners too.)

Have a vacation agenda. Coloradans are known for being very active, adventurous, and fit.(And they say smoking pot makes you lazy…pshh.) If you’re coming here just to get high and have no plans to embark on the adventure that is Colorado, we’re going to quickly lose interest in you and your lackluster holiday. We like to get high, and then go DO something exciting, or at least cool! This site can give you all the info you’ll need to maximize your high time in the high country, so check out some of the other MJ Traveler info to answer the question: You’re high, now what?

Altitude can really mess you up. We’re so high, literally, that many visitors need some time to adjust to the elevations of Colorado. It may be imperative that you take care to avoid too much exercise during the first day or two of your visit. Make sure to stay hydrated, and know that supplemental oxygen can be purchased at many retail outlets (liquor stores sell them as hangover cures) to counter any symptoms of altitude sickness.

Be yourself.

Don’t step on anyone’s toes.

Enjoy Colorado.