News

Colorado Concerts Are Now BYOC

by L. Turner

Welcome to Colorado, where concerts are now BYOC (Bring Your Own Cannabis). The state, which legalized pot on Jan. 1, has become a sort of American Amsterdam when it comes to all things pot-related — along with Washington state, which legalized possession of the drug in 2012. In Colorado, anyone can walk into a marijuana dispensary and walk out with a substance that could land you in jail in other states.

The trend is so widespread, it's even been embraced by that usually-reliable bastion of propriety, the Colorado Symphony, which is launching a Classically Cannabis: The High Note series. We can only assume the series is intended to be enjoyed while one is floating on clouds of marijuana smoke in a green leaf-flecked sky. Its creators say as much in their advertising on the planned concerts:

Experience the Colorado Symphony in a brand new way. ... The High Note Series is a BYOC-friendly experience for music lovers.

The event promises great food coordinated by the Colorado-based Edible Events Company, an upscale events company that promises an "indulgent atmosphere to maximize your cannabis experience" with "decadent menus ... skillfully constructed to stimulate all of your heightened senses."

Meg Roussos/Getty Images News/Getty Images

The symphony asks concert-goers to take "alternative modes of transportation" to the $75 event — and also comes with a lengthy disclaimer.

Attendees of the event must be at least 21 years of age. ... Participant understands that attendees may use marijuana at this event, as is their right under Colorado law. Cannabis will not be sold at the event, however, and the price of the reservation is entirely unrelated to whether one chooses to use cannabis or not. Those who choose to use cannabis assume any and all risk associated with such use.

The symphony's executive director, Jerry Kern, told The Denver Post that the goal is to attract a younger audience to the concerts.

We see ourselves as connecting classical music with all of Colorado. Part of our goal is to bring in a younger audience and a more diverse audience, and I would suggest that the patrons of the cannabis industry are both younger and more diverse than the patrons of the symphony orchestra.

As one Twitter user put it: Groovy!