Organizers of Colorado’s High Times Cannabis Cup have been denied a permit for the April event, reports The Denver Post. Adams County commissioners struck down the request unanimously, saying the event is neither safe nor legally compliant.
The commissioners heard testimony from local law enforcement, who argued that too many participants used cannabis products openly.
North Metro Drug Task Force Commander Todd Reeves said that last year, a military veteran had trouble breathing after sampling cannabis and that a woman leapt from a moving automobile.
“From a safety perspective, I have serious concerns about this event and this venue,” said Adams County Sheriff Michael McIntosh.
The Colorado High Times event is the magazine’s and perhaps the world’s largest cannabis event.
High Times general counsel Cristina Buccola said she was unaware of the permit’s denial and declined to comment on the event’s future.
John Doyle, co-owner of the Denver Mart, which had applied for the permit, had presented the commission with new, stricter set of rules for the event. Total attendees would have been limited to 15,000 per day, as opposed to 35,000 last year, and visitors would have been required to find off-site parking before taking a shuttle to the event.
Commander Reeves said that the total number of attendees would exceed the 15,000 person limit set by fire officials by another thousand when vendors were included, and that the organizers had failed to address the fact that public consumption of cannabis remains illegal in Colorado.
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