The History of Cannabis in Boulder, Colorado

Cannabis Culture in Boulder:

A short drive from Colorado, Boulder nestles up to the Rocky Mountains. Giving off a laid back vibe, the city’s history of counterculture is still an influence today. Close to nature, with a preference for healthy lifestyles, Boulder is a fun city with a cannabis history that goes pretty far back. Today, it’s a welcoming place for marijuana experts. There’s no shortage of recreational and medicinal dispensaries.

Hippie culture and illegal cannabis

Boulder has a long-standing relationship with cannabis. As a hotspot for hippies throughout the 1960s and 1970’s, the city attracted a crowd of regular pot smokers. Hippies did more than just smoke, they got others to join them in Boulder. Famous tokers kept talking about the city as a place for free thinkers and cannabis lovers. Among the biggest fans were author, Jack Kerouac and poet, Allen Ginsberg

Today, Boulder traded in hippies for college kids. The students at the University of Colorado, Boulder, continue to promote cannabis. The campus serves as host for an annual 420 celebration.

It’s legal

Once Colorado began making marijuana legal the counterculture shifted. Everything you’d been doing didn’t have to stay a secret. The norm shifted. Cannabis wasn’t only an illegal drug. It was now able to help people with certain medical conditions. Then, it even became okay to smoke for fun.

Medicinal marijuana

Amendment 20, or the Colorado Medical Marijuana Amendment, made medicinal marijuana legal in Colorado in November 2000. This only legalized cannabis use for certain debilitating medical conditions. Ten years later, the Boulder City Council adopted Medical Marijuana Ordinance 7716. This further helped medicinal dispensaries go legit. It set up a licensing system for medical marijuana businesses. This added a level of professionalism and respectability to the industry.

Recreational marijuana

Not far behind the legalization of medicinal marijuana, Amendment 64 passed in 2012. This made Colorado one of the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana use. Washington did so as well that same year. The first retail cannabis stores opened in Colorado on January 1, 2014. Breaking a nation-wide ban from 1937, people in Colorado could now grow, consume and sell cannabis legally.

Cannabis in Colorado today

With the recreational use of marijuana legal in Colorado, Boulder wasted no time getting on board. The pot business is booming across the city. Boulder has also become a popular spot for cannabis tours. More and more visitors arrive each year to sample product and learn more about the industry. Boulder quickly distinguished itself as a hub for marijuana connoisseurs.

More than selling a product many people enjoy, cannabis has a bigger impact. It does more than keep the willing populace feeling good. Taxes collected from the sale of marijuana helps fund schools, pave roads  and re-educate police forces. “Colorado has become the gold standard–or should we say green standard–for the rest of the nation, having provided the blueprint for legalization,” according to Elements Boulder.

Grab some green in Boulder today

No exploration through Boulder’s marijuana culture today is complete without a stop at Marquis Cannabis. We’re conveniently located in the middle of downtown. Our high-end dispensary focuses on premium strains and products like edibles, concentrates and flowers. Come and visit us to view our complete inventory of product and accessories. You can also put in an online order for curbside pick-up. We look forward to showing you why Boulder residents take so much pride in cannabis.