Below are some frequently asked questions regarding marijuana in Estes Park. Please go to www.goodtoknowcolorado.com for additional information on Amendment 64 and marijuana laws in Colorado. 

Will we see marijuana businesses when we come to Estes Park? 

The Town of Estes Park prohibits marijuana-selling businesses within town limits and Larimer County is not currently granting retail marijuana licenses to any new dispensaries in the Estes Park area. So, for the foreseeable future, there will likely be not legal retail or medical marijuana businesses in the Estes Park area. 

Other cities and counties, including some located on the way to Estes Park, allow retail and/or medical marijuana businesses, so you may pass them while driving to Estes Park. Please go to each city or county website to determine specific marijuana laws for those areas.  

Will people be smoking marijuana in public in Estes Park? Is this legal?

You should not encounter people smoking or consuming marijuana products in Estes Park’s public areas, including inside restaurants and lounges. Smoking or consuming marijuana-based products is, and will continue to be, illegal in public spaces in Colorado, including Estes Park.  

• Individual lodging properties may have specific policies on marijuana consumption in rooms or on their property. Guests are encouraged to check with their lodging property and to abide by their policies.
• Smoking or consumption of marijuana-based products is not legal in any dining, drinking or retail establishment.
• Possession and use of marijuana continues to be illegal in Rocky Mountain National Park and all federal lands.  Please check with Rocky Mountain National Park for details on park laws and policies.

What are the general rules surrounding marijuana purchase and possession? 

There are a number of regulations regarding marijuana possession and purchase in Colorado. These include (but may not be limited to):

• You must be 21 or older to have or use retail marijuana
• It is illegal to give or sell retail marijuana to minors
• It is illegal to drive high 
• It is illegal to consume marijuana in public
• It is illegal to take marijuana out of the state
• Only licensed establishments may sell retail marijuana products (there are no licensed retail or medical marijuana businesses in the Estes Park area)
• Colorado residents 21 and older can purchase and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana at a time
• Non-residents of Colorado can purchase up to ¼ ounce at a time

What are the consequences of violating the marijuana laws?

Penalties range from a fine to a possible jail or prison sentence. Colorado State Statutes spell out the specific penalties for various violations. Schools, universities and employers are allowed to put in place their own disciplinary actions for marijuana-related infractions.