Denver may allow marijuana shops to stay open later

The Denver City Council may roll back the mandatory closing time for cannabis retailers from 7 p.m. to either 10 p.m. or perhaps midnight under a proposal being considered by a special committee.

But don’t expect an imminent decision. The issue will remain unresolved for at least a few more weeks, as the council solicits additional public input.

Mandated closing times for Denver marijuana shops makes them less competitive than many other retailers that are technically located in other metro-area municipalities and suburbs that allow MJ shops to stay open as late as midnight, the Denver Post reported.

The Denver industry has been pushing city officials for retail-hour equity for some time, but the issue has generated controversy, with anti-cannabis advocates arguing the current closing time of 7 p.m. is just fine. The council has also heard from neighbors who don’t want hours extended, in part because of the noise generated by customers at shops in residential areas.

The council may wind up agreeing on a middle ground, such as extending hours until 10 p.m., the Post reported.