Colorado lawmakers reject cannabis hospitality ‘pop-up’ events

A Colorado bill that would have created temporary permits for cannabis consumption events died in the state Senate after clearing the House.

House Bill 26-1117 was pulled by its Senate sponsor Sen. William Lindstedt with less than a week left in the legislative session, according to alternative weekly newspaper Westword.

The measure would have allowed event organizers to apply for temporary licenses for cannabis-friendly pop-up events instead of pursuing a full annual hospitality permit.

Events would have been limited to adults 21 and older, shielded from public view and allowed only in jurisdictions that opted in.

Cannabis sales would have been prohibited at the events. The bill also required a licensed venue owner or tour service operator to be involved in organizing the event.

What would the cannabis consumption bill have allowed?

Lindstedt told the Senate Finance Committee the proposal faced a “kind of weird circumstance” tied to an outdated fiscal note, while adding, “I support the bill,” Westword reported.

Only one cannabis-related organization, the Southern Colorado Cannabis Council, supported the bill. Most marijuana business owners and event organizers stayed quiet or pushed for major amendments, according to Westword.

What other cannabis bills failed?

The outcome follows a broader pattern in Colorado, where annual cannabis sales reached nearly $1.2 billion last year – well off 2024’s total of $1.4 billion.

Earlier this month, a separate bill that would have expanded access to hemp-derived THC beverages outside licensed marijuana stores failed amid opposition from the state’s regulated cannabis industry.

That measure, Senate Bill 164, would have opened a wide pathway for sales of the popular THC-infused drinks sales in bars, restaurants and some other mainstream outlets.

The failed bills underscore how difficult it’s become to advance cannabis proposals that move consumption or purchases beyond licensed retailers.

Is New York more cannabis-friendly than Colorado?

In contrast, the New York Office of Cannabis Management opened applications for Cannabis Showcase Events, a system that allows licensed retailers to temporarily sell cannabis products away from their dispensaries at approved sites such as farmers’ markets, pop-ups and community events.

Under New York’s framework, municipal approval is required, and the licensed retailer is the only entity allowed to make sales. Other licensees can participate only as exhibitors or brand representatives.

The retailer-led structure preserves direct-to-consumer sales within the regulated market, offering a model Colorado lawmakers and operators were not ready to embrace.