Got plans for 4/20 weekend? There are several options for getting around Denver without getting behind the wheel. (Andy Cross, Denver Post file)

Ask The Cannabist, 4/20 edition: How to get around Denver without driving

Welcome to our Ask The Cannabist column. Clearly you have questions about marijuana, be it a legal concern, a health curiosity, a Colorado-centric inquiry or something more far-reaching. Check out our expansive, 100-question Colorado marijuana FAQ first, and if you’re still curious, email your question to Ask The Cannabist at askthecannabist@gmail.com.


Hey, Cannabist!
I’m stoked! I am traveling to Denver for 4/20 weekend. Driving in a new city and dealing with traffic would be such a buzzkill! How do I get around from event to event without driving? — Rip Rider

Hey, Rip Rider!
It’s a great idea to make transportation arrangements for the 4/20 holiday weekend. Most important, by not driving, you don’t risk getting a possible DUID charge from the po-po.  

In case you missed it, last year Colorado State Patrol stepped up training for troopers as drug recognition experts and started tracking citations for marijuana DUID, which involves a blood draw to determine driver impairment. Legally impaired in Colorado means the driver has 5 nanograms or more of active THC per milliliter of whole blood.

Other perks to alternative transportation include not having to navigate Denver roads, or find and pay for parking at each event.

Ultimately, your travel options depend on where you are going and your budget. The cheapest option is to utilize RTD public transit for the bus and light rail. Get an RTD phone app to read maps, schedules and stops on your phone.  The High Times Cannabis Cup at the Denver Mart can be accessed by bus on the 8 and 12 routes. If you’re going to Snoop’s Wellness Retreat at Fiddler’s Green south of Denver, skip the rush-hour gridlock on I-25 and catch the light rail’s E line to the show.

Another option is My 420 Tours, which has a 420-friendly shuttle service for $99 a person that runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 17-20, with 12 stops and pickups every 15-30 minutes.

For a luxury trip, Colorado Green Tours offers personalized 4/20 travel packages for double-occupancy bookings for two- to seven-day getaways that include a private, cannabis-friendly, chauffeured luxury vehicle and rides from your hotel to each day of the High Times Cannabis Cup.  You can even schedule a personal car and driver for the day. Prices start at $1,000 and are customized to your 4/20 party plans.

Rideshares are another option. Colorado Ground Transportation, a subsidiary of Colorado Green Tours, is a 420-friendly ride request service. Uber or Lyft are two more (nonsmoking) rideshares.  Uber has a special $20 off the first ride with the code CUP2015.  Taxis are available too. Check out the local cab companies that have phone apps for faster service.

Elise McDonough, event designer of the High Times Cannabis Cup, shared a few transportation details about the Cup. Parking at the venue, McDonough says, is scarce and costs likely will be $10-$20. Catch a free shuttle to the Cannabis Cup from Cheba Hut, 1531 Champa St., Denver.  Shuttles will also be running to satellite parking lots to pick up event-goers.  “We are working on organizing shuttles to our Cannabis Cup venue, from downtown as well as Fort Collins and Boulder through Bus to Show. We will also be scheduling shuttles to visit every pot shop on the Freedom Trail competition path,” McDonough says. The Freedom Trail bus ride also starts at Cheba Hut. Sign up at Bus to Show.

Bus to Show is also headed to the evening High Times concerts. Catch a ride on the bus for $25. For Cannabis Cup VIP-ticket holders, transportation is provided to the Cup from area hotels and also to the Saturday and Monday night Cannabis Cup concerts.

Be safe, have fun! XO


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