Coloradans are a step closer to being allowed to smoke in social settings thanks to a bill that was introduced last week.

 House Bill 19-1230 would allow a regulated system for people to consume cannabis in social settings. With a proper license, it would allow cannabis hospitality establishments to run where there would be some product sales but would ultimately provide a space for people to consume their cannabis.

If the bill is passed, establishments could be allowed as early as January 2020.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is continuing his pledge to support Denver's marijuana industry, sending a public letter to the United States Congress in support of marijuana banking reform.

The state-licensed cannabis industry gained over 64,000 new employees in 2018, and now employs over 200,000 full-time workers, according to data compiled by Whitney Economics and the online content provider Leafly.com.

Commenting on the new findings, NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said, “The federal government needs to deschedule marijuana to allow states to better and more fully benefit from the economic growth engine that is the legal marijuana industry. Further, state regulators need to ensure as this sector expands its economic benefits are shared by all, including and most especially by those who suffered most under the failed policy of criminal prohibition.”

One of the clouds over Denver’s marijuana hospitality businesses is about to go away.

On Monday night, the Denver City Council decided in a 10-1 vote that the city should permanently allow “social” cannabis use at certain businesses in the city. Until now, the city’s social-use laws were scheduled to expire at the end of 2020.

The change is meant to give some stability to businesses where people can vaporize or eat marijuana legally.

Denver no longer has the distinction of being the only major city with retail marijuana dispensaries, but that hasn't stopped weed from flying off the shelves here. This city has seen almost $2.4 billion in marijuana sales since the first retail dispensary opened on January 1, 2014, according to our calculations based on Colorado Department of Revenue data.

A bill that would have given Colorado law enforcement officers more leeway when charging drivers with marijuana and drug DUIs was withdrawn by the measure's own sponsor this week.

State Representative Dylan Roberts, a Democrat and deputy prosecutor in Eagle County, had introduced House Bill 1146, a proposal to allow police to arrest drivers "for the presumption that a driver is under the influence of marijuana," on January 29. Two weeks later, Roberts pulled the bill before its first committee vote.

Back in November 13, Denver voters approved a 3.5% tax that would be used to regulate cannabis, as well as enforce cannabis reform efforts. The tax also was designed to collect resources for education efforts around informing the city’s youth about using cannabis and the potential long-term consequences that might have. One campaign resulted in the first cannabis game show for kids called “Weeded Out.”