Colorado Barber Refuses to Cut The Hair of People Smelling Like Pot

The sign in the window of Hugo's Barber Shop in Greeley, Colo., reads: "Please do not come in if you smell like marijuana. There are families with kids who don't want to smell it. This is a business, not your house. Thank you. If you don't like it, please go somewhere else."

Photo montage: 710KNUS.com

Hugo Corral is the 23-year-old owner of Hugo's Barber Shop. On Monday afternoon Corral told TheBlaze that he posted the sign in the window a few weeks ago and was almost immediately hit with complaints as well as salutes. And now that the story has become national news.

"The whole nation has an opinion on it. Half of them hate it and the other half love it," he said.

The barber shop's sign has sparked the latest argument about a business owner's right to deny service to someone. Corral claims that he has been threatened with a discrimination suit. However, his legal advisors say that he is well within his rights to deny service to people who smell like pot. "I kick people out all the time because they're drunk," said Hugo, making a comparison to people who come into his shop intoxicated or smelling of alcohol.

Curiously, the barbershop owner is not against marijuana.

"I'm a huge supporter of the marijuana industry. This is about people not respecting the children," Hugo said during our interview.

The young business owner repeatedly stressed that he established the rule to create a family-friendly environment. Corral set up his barbershop when he was just out of high school and has built a successful business in Greeley, CO, a town where he has lived since he was 14 years old. He told TheBlaze, "I am a humble person who has faith in God. I try to do the the right thing, with integrity."

Do you think Hugo has a right to deny haircuts to people who smell like they have been smoking marijuana? We invite you to comment and take part in our Blaze Poll.

The local CBS affiliate covered the story.

(H/T: Kelley & Company 710KNUS)