With the ski season a little over a week old in Colorado, the first signs of ski area attitudes to the legalisation of personal marijuana law in the state are beginning to emerge.
A report by CBS Denver said that several visitors to Arapahoe Basin had had their ski passes confiscated by ski patrol for “public use” of marijuana.
The new law allows for personal use of a small amount of marijuana but explicitly prohibits use in a public area – such as on the ski slopes.
Resort communities across Colorado are currently deciding whether to allow licensed shops to sell marijuana in their towns.
Some commentators are also noting that most Colorado ski areas are located on US Federal land and possession, as well as consumption, of marijuana on Federal land is against US national law and can result in a fine or jail sentence.
However there is also debate about where responsibility lies to police these new laws – the ski area operators, the state or the national authorities.
There is also debate as to whether the new laws will help or hinder Colorado’s $1.5 billion tourism industry.