Pueblo City Council informally agrees to allow marijuana clubs

Pueblo City Council informally agreed to allow private marijuana clubs in city limits.

The clubs would have to be private, meaning attendees must be members of the club to get inside. Assistant City Attorney Carla Sikes explained to City Council during Tuesday night’s work session that the clubs must be private-member establishments in order to comply with Amendment 64.

Under state law, marijuana cannot be consumed openly and publicly. Sikes told council that requiring the clubs be by membership ensures that the city is abiding by state law.

Council has been split over whether to allow marijuana clubs after prior concerns arose by Pueblo Police Chief Luis Velez that officers could develop a contact high by entering such clubs. Councilman Steve Nawrocki said at Tuesday’s meeting that he believes it’s no different for an officer to enter a marijuana club than it would be for he/she to respond to a call in a home where marijuana users are smoking.

Sikes explained to council that there’s not enough research available to validate whether it’s possible for an officer to get high from secondhand marijuana smoke.

Deputy Chief Andy McLachlan said the police department will now have to develop a procedure in the event that an officer has to enter a marijuana club.

“If they are exposed to this stuff for a certain amount of time, what do we then have to do with the officer? We take them off the street until we’re sure it’s out of their system. We’ve got some challenges ahead on this,” McLachlan said.

Council members also agreed to ban people from making hash oil. Council didn’t vote on marijuana issues Tuesday since the meeting was a work session.

In addition, council did not reach a consensus regarding where people should be legally allowed to smoke pot on their private property.