Although recreational cannabis is legal in the state of Colorado, public consumption of the plant is still precarious. Denver did manage to open its first social lounge in May, but that remains the only social consumption spot in the area. In fact, “The Coffee Joint” is the only place of business that has managed to receive a permit from the state since voters approved of such locations back in a 2016 ballot.
However, despite the lack of state-approved social lounges, another type of social consumption lounge has been prevalent throughout the state—marijuana tour buses. Although they are technically illegal, the buses flew largely under the radar, until just recently.
Their downfall?
CNN, apparently.
CNN Tips Police Off To Illegal Weed Tour Buses
If you can recall, CNN did a New Year’s Eve Special this past January, where news anchor Kush Kaye reported live on a Cannabis Tours bus, where patrons were toking up ahead of the holiday. The anchor, at one point, even appeared to smoke weed herself.
It also appeared that she may have narced on the very bus she was riding on.
According to Denver Police Department commander James Henning, police weren’t fully aware of cannabis tour buses until CNN’s ABC special.
“At one point they cut to a reporter and she was on one of these buses in Denver. And, you know, she’s talking about how wonderful it is that people are consuming marijuana and you can see in the background people consuming marijuana in a vehicle,” Henning told ABC Denver.”At one point they cut to a reporter and she was on one of these buses in Denver. And, you know, she’s talking about how wonderful it is that people are consuming marijuana and you can see in the background people consuming marijuana in a vehicle.”
Following the special, police upped the ante on their weed tour bus crackdown. This resulted in a June sting operation, where 31 people in total were cited after police pulled over two tour buses from two separate companies.
During the stop, 16 people on Colorado Cannabis Tours were cited, along with an additional 19 people, including the driver, on the My 420 Tours line.
Owner Promises Action
Despite the city-wide crackdown, Michael Eymer, the founder of Colorado Cannabis Tours, promises to take legal action against Denver’s taskforce.
“Tell the city we’re going to sue them,” Eymer said.
“So for them to allow a business owner to enter this market, expand a company for years and years and years get tons and tons of notoriety and then crack down is really just, in my opinion, shameful,” he added.
