District of Columbia lawmakers extend ban on pot in private clubs

By Tom Ramstack

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A temporary ban on smoking marijuana in private clubs was unanimously extended by the District of Columbia Council on Tuesday as lawmakers debated limits on pot in the U.S. capital.

A final vote on a permanent ban was delayed by at least two weeks as a task force explores alternatives and the District of Columbia nears its first anniversary of legal pot.

The law that took effect in February 2015 allows adults to possess small amounts of marijuana and grow and consume it at home. Facing opposition from Congress, the District bans the sale of marijuana, but public smoking has become common as arrests have dried up.

"I think the time is right to consider communal use of marijuana," said Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, who opposes restricting recreational marijuana consumption to homes.

Marijuana use is banned under federal law, and proponents argue that people living in federal housing are prevented from smoking marijuana. Parents who do not want to consume pot in front of their children also need a place to smoke, they say.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Cathy Lanier have pushed for the permanent ban.

The proposed prohibition forbids marijuana use anywhere outside a private residence. It authorizes the mayor to revoke the licenses of businesses that allow consumption on their property.

Besides the District of Columbia, the states of Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska also have made pot lawful for recreational use.

(Editing by Ian Simpson)