Marijuana citation issued on mountain by Forest Service

Overall complaints about marijuana use are down

A citation was issued last week for marijuana use at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Mike Stearly, public issues manager for the Forest Service confirmed that agency representatives approached three individuals, all locals. “All were cooperative and one citation was issued,” he said.

According to John Murphy, district ranger for the Gunnison Ranger District, the citation is the first one this year and complaints about marijuana use at the ski resort are down.
“In talking to law enforcement, things have gotten way better than in the past,” Murphy said. Overall, people seem to be getting the message that marijuana use is illegal on the mountain.
“Marijuana is illegal on federal lands and most of the ski area is on federal lands,” Murphy said, noting that marijuana use is also illegal under state law. “If you’re on the mountain skiing and snowboarding and using alcohol and marijuana, you are skiing impaired and that’s violating the Colorado Skier Safety Act. And even Amendment 64 doesn’t allow for the public display of [marijuana use],” Murphy continued.
Murphy credits the resort for its help, eliminating known “smoke shacks” and taking other measures to reduce marijuana use. And while the resort does partner with the Forest Service when it can, CBMR director of innovations and relations Erica Mueller believes that overall awareness is on the rise.
“In general, Amendment 64 has become more known in the public,” she said. She’s also observed that the state of Colorado and local dispensaries have been doing a lot of education.
Ultimately, enforcement is up to the Forest Service. Stearly noted that a citation for marijuana can come with a court appearance or a fine. “Just like a regular citation from traffic, you just pay the citation or you can go to court and fight it,” he said. The amount for this type of citation is $275.