Let’s talk about that delicate dance between good cheer and good judgment. The holidays bring out the best in us: warmth, music, lights, friends, and the clink of glasses. They also bring out a classic seasonal combo that has been tempting fate for generations. Entertainment and alcohol mix easily. Add a touch of cannabis to the blend, and suddenly New Year’s Eve earns its nickname of amateur’s night all over again. The risks are real, and the good news is that they’re almost entirely avoidable with a little planning and a bit of Lensworth-style common sense.

Start with the drinks we tend to forget are stronger than they look. Many of today’s superb IPAs push the 9 percent alcohol range. That’s not your grandfather’s beer. That’s closer to two beers dressed up as one. Now, swirl in the synergistic effect of cannabis, and impact goes up fast. One joint plus one strong beer does not equal one joint plus one beer. That math slides sideways. It becomes something much more impairing than either alone. Add the fun of a multi-hour party, and suddenly someone who felt just fine at 6 pm is being asked to walk an imaginary line at 11 pm.

I can’t give legal advice anymore as an inactive, retired lawyer and former judge, but I do have decades of experience dealing with real-world mixing of alcohol, cannabis, and the law. Impairment is not just chemistry. It’s part science, part art, and part human nature. As gracious hosts, we want to keep the art limited to conversation and the science confined to the kitchen. Nobody should leave our homes facing danger, arrest, or regret. “Designated Driver” becomes a magic spell. 

Here’s a myth worth retiring: the famous one-drink-per-hour rule keeps you safe. It just ain’t so. Remove cannabis from the picture entirely, and even then the numbers surprise people. A fair way to think about it: for a couple of hours, you can usually consume one more drink than the number of hours you’ve been drinking before drifting toward trouble. Three drinks over two hours can be borderline. Four drinks per hour for three hours puts most people well past any safe or legal limit. The body processes alcohol more slowly than the party mood.

So what’s a thoughtful host to do?

Favor lower-alcohol wines and beers. Skip the cannabis entirely when alcohol is being served. Keep good snacks circulating. Measure pours so a glass of wine doesn’t quietly become 8 ounces instead of 4 or 5. A beer is 12 ounces of about 5 percent alcohol, not a bottomless stein. Little details make big differences in outcomes. And of course: designated drivers. They remain the gold standard of responsible hosting.

One last thought: empty-stomach drinking is verboten. A well-fed guest is a safer guest.

A sight to avoid at the end of a holiday party!

We want everyone to enjoy the lights, the music, and the magic of the season. A little care on the front end helps ensure all of our guests end their night with nothing more dramatic than a cheerful goodbye and a safe drive home. 

Shared Knowledge Is Power!

Lenny “Lensworth” Frieling

Lenny Frieling Pen Of Justice

• Multi-published and widely syndicated blogger and author.
• Most recently published by Amazon, his first book, "Lensworth"a book of his prize-winning photos.
• University lectures at University. of Colorado, Boulder, Denver University Law School, Univ. of New Mexico, Las Vegas NM, and many other schools at all levels. Numerous lectures for the NORML Legal Committee
• Former Judge
• Media work, including starring in episodes of Fox’s Power of Attorney, well in excess of many hundreds media interviews, appearances, articles, and podcasts, including co-hosting Time For Hemp for two years.
• Life Member, NORML Legal Committee, Distinguished Counsel Circle.
• Photographer of the Year, AboutBoulder 2023
• First Chair and Originator of the Colorado Bar Association’s Cannabis Law Committee, a National first.
• Previous Chair, Boulder Criminal Defense Bar (8 years)
• Twice chair Executive Counsel, Colorado Bar Association Criminal Law Section
• Life Member, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
• Board Member Emeritus, Colorado NORML, and prior chair during legalization, as well as pre and post legalization
• Chair, Colorado NORML, 7 years including during the successful effort to legalize recreational pot in Colorado
• Senior Counsel Emeritus to the Boulder Law firm Dolan + Zimmerman LLP : (720)-610-0951
• Board member, Author, and Editor for Criminal Law Articles for the Colorado Lawyer, primary publication of the Colorado Bar Assoc. 7 Years, in addition to having 2 Colorado Lawyer cover photos, and numerous articles for the Colorado Lawyer monthly publication.
• http://www.Lfrieling.com