You’ve just consumed a cannabis treat, smoked a bowl, or did a dab. The orchestra revs up and starts playing a beautiful piece to take you away to a world of music, far from your worries and cares.
You immerse yourself in the music with the assistance of cannabis and the orchestra gains another patron. That was the idea when the Colorado Symphony Orchestra collaborated with the cannabis industry.
Cannabis users know that music sounds better with a little THC. The CSO used this knowledge to make its first foray into the world of cannabis with their unique “bring-your-own-cannabis” series, “Classically Cannabis: The High Note Series.” Its first event was on March 23 at the Space Gallery in Denver, but it almost didn’t happen.
The city has been shutting down events through intimidation since retail cannabis was legalized, citing that the law does not allow “public consumption.” What public consumption actually means is a hot topic of debate between the city and cannabis advocates. Since the warning letters started going out, activists, business owners and cannabis consumers have been trying to discern what the city considers public.
The City of Denver hand-delivered a warning letter to the orchestra on May 8. The letter said that if the concert series went forward, participating business owners and event organizers will be legally responsible for any violations. The letter had a warning for patrons as well.
P. Aiden Hunt 