Marijuana News: Denver Releases New Law; Is it Good News Or Bad News?

First Posted: Nov 23, 2016 05:09 AM EST

Marijuana has been legal in so many states. Now, Denver is allowing residents to smoke weed in some if their bars. The question now is that, how will it affect the non-smokers?

Denver's new law called initiative 300 authorize a four-year pilot plan in the city, allowing restaurant and bar owners to apply for permits to grant marijuana use in their premises. However, indoor smokers are not allowed to smoke, but outdoors they are permitted. Also, marijuana vaping is allowed so is the marijuana edibles, but only in the properties that had applied for permits.

However, the new rule states that bars and restaurants are not allowed to sell marijuana. So, the new rule suggests to BYOP or bring your own pot.

According to Denverite, the new law could start being implemented in 2017. The new law got a lot of applause in the tourism industry. As the tourists and renters often times legally buy marijuana in Colorado and only a few spots to smoke.

Meanwhile, other advocates are worried about the health effects of the new law, especially the second-hand smoke.

"Second-hand marijuana smoke has 33 cancer-causing chemicals, according to the California EPA [Environmental Protection Agency], and some of the same chemicals in marijuana smoke are also in tobacco smoke," according to Peter Bialick, president of The Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution (GASP) of Colorado.

The researchers from John Hopkins revealed that an hour of exposure to high THC cannabis in the non-ventilated room. If urine tested, the nonsmokers can be positive for cannabis after 2 to 11 hours after the exposure. However, levels would be lower, but still detectable. The result of their research has been published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence in 2015.

Furthermore, when it comes to ventilated areas, the nonsmokers that are still exposed did not show any effects. Thus, it would not be a problem with the new law of Denver, because they do not allow smokers to smoke marijuana indoors, according to Live Science.