Vices

The bad news: Colorado lawmakers are serious about treating drinking and smoking exactly the same as drinking and driving. The good news: pot's still legal, so we got that going.

Drug Law: A few weeks ago, the Colorado Governor Hickenlooper signed Senate Bill 283, which immediately went into effect. This bill created a new open container law related to marijuana. The bill creates Colorado state criminal law that makes it a crime to use or have an open container of marijuana in a motor vehicle if you are the driver.

The new law created is C.R.S. 42-4-1305.5 (Open marijuana container – motor vehicle). It reads that it is illegal to have an “open marijuana container,” or a receptacle that contains any amount of marijuana, that is open or has a broken seal; or the contents of which are partially removed in the “passenger area” of a motor vehicle. The “passenger area” means the area designed to seat the driver and passengers, including the seating behind the driver. The motor vehicle must be in operation and the area covered by the law is any area is readily accessible to the driver or a passenger while in his or her seating position, including but not limited to the glove compartment.