Beer? Wine? Or weed? Denver voters approve pot in bars

FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2016, file photo, business owners in the new marijuana industry mingle at a political fundraiser in Denver. Denver has approved a first-in-the-nation law allowing people to use marijuana in bars and restaurants. Denver voters weighed in on Proposition 300 as eight other states legalized marijuana for medical or recreational purposes last week. The city measure would let a certain number of bars and restaurants to apply to allow marijuana use. Some ballots remained uncounted. (AP Photo/Kristen Wyatt, File)

By Associated Press November 16, 2016 4 min read

DENVER (AP) – A glass of wine with dinner? Or maybe some marijuana?

Denver voters have approved a first-in-the-nation law allowing willing bars and restaurants to give patrons the option to use marijuana alongside a cocktail or meal. The catch: Smoking pot won’t be allowed inside, and the locations would have to first get the approval of neighbors.

Denver voters approved Proposition 300 on the same day that the nation’s largest state of California and two others legalized pot for all adults and five more states approved pot for sick people – signs of society’s increasing tolerance for the drug.

“It’s the sensible thing to do,” said Emmett Reistroffer, a Denver marijuana consultant and campaign manager for the pot-in-bars measure. “This is about personal responsibility and respecting adults who want to have a place to enjoy cannabis.”

Denver’s measure takes effect immediately, but it has a lot of caveats.