"High Note": Colo. symphony to play "pot-friendly" concerts

DENVER - The Colorado Symphony Orchestra plans to play a series of "cannabis-friendly" fundraising concerts sponsored by the state's burgeoning marijuana industry.

In an announcement Tuesday, the state's only full-time professional orchestra said it hopes the unusual shows dubbed "Classically Cannabis: The High Note Series" will boost its audience as it struggles with dwindling attendance and shrinking budgets.

"The cannabis industry obviously opens the door even further to a younger, more diverse audience," symphony CEO Jerome Kern told The Associated Press.

In return for sponsorship, marijuana-related companies get "the legitimacy of being associated with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra." he said.

The event, however, is strictly BYOC - bring your own cannabis, according to an events listing on the symphony website that says pot will not be sold.

Retail marijuana sales have been legal in Colorado since January but there have been concerns about the safety and packaging of edible marijuana products.

Still, poll results released Monday showed 52 percent of Coloradans think marijuana legalization has been beneficial, and 67 percent disagree with the idea that it has eroded the moral fiber of people in the state, CBS Denver reported.

Kern said he has heard complaints from at least one musician and from symphony supporters about the upcoming concerts.

The first three shows will feature small ensembles of symphony players at a downtown Denver gallery. The series culminates with a concert at Red Rocks, an amphitheater outside Denver where the symphony and pop and rock groups play.

Jane West, whose Edible Events Co. is organizing the series, said concertgoers will be able to smoke pot in a separate area at the gallery. Guests must be at least 21 and purchase $75 tickets in advance.

"We try to create upscale events where people can come and enjoy some cannabis just like they would a glass of wine," West said.

For the final show at Red Rocks, which is owned by the city and county of Denver, organizers intend to follow rules dictated by police, West said.

Smoking pot at the famed venue is officially banned, though that was flouted long before recreational marijuana became legal in the state.

Another series of symphony events restricted to the 21-and-up crowd is "Beethoven and Brews," which brings musicians to a trendy downtown hotel bar to play as local breweries offer tastings.