Pot Club Showdown Nears Between CO Governor, Lawmakers

Colorado has an abundance of legal cannabis, but not nearly as many places to legally smokeit. Attempts by the state legislature to create sanctioned spaces for cannabis smokingare planting the seeds of a showdown with Gov. John Hickenlooper, whos expressed opposition to allowing indoor smoking of any kind.

DENVER (AP) Colorado lawmakers moved closer Monday to a showdown with the governor over pot clubs.

A House committee voted 8-3 to approve a bill giving local governments a roadmap to allowing private marijuana clubs. The clubs could allow indoor smoking, if they have fewer than three employees.

The goal here is to give folks a space where they can consume marijuana, said Rep. Dan Pabon, a Denver Democrat and sponsor of the bill.

The bill also has Republican supporters who say clubs would keep pot smoking out of parks and other public areas. It has already passed the GOP Senate.

But Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper told reporters recently that he opposes the pot club bill if it allows indoor smoking.

He said its a bad idea to invite attention to Colorado as a new president takes office and sends mixed messages about whether state pot experiments will be allowed to continue.

Smoking is bad for you very bad for you, Hickenlooper said earlier this month.

Sponsors counter that the clubs would still be subject to the Clean Indoor Air Act, which bans indoor smoking unless the establishment has no more than three employees. The bill bars the clubs from serving food beyond pre-packages snacks or coffee; state liquor code bars any club from selling alcohol.

Pabon and other supporters repeatedly mentioned indoor smoking during testimony Monday. Colorado already has a patchwork of private pot clubs, but the law is unclear about whether pot clubs are OK and many existing clubs are word-of-mouth smokeasies.

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