Cannabis Hospitality Licenses Approved in Denver

Applications were accepted from November 2021 and the first licenses were issued earlier this month. One such venture, Tetra Lounge in downtown Denver, has been open since March 21.

Tetra Lounge owner Dewayne Benjamin is hoping things will be finalized soon as there is less than a month until April 20th arrives. “The goal has always been to prove the model of the city. When I opened in 2018 they just published the first hospitality rules not allowing smoking. The plan was to get the license with that smoking provision,” Benjamin told Westword. “People travel from all over the world to smoke cannabis in Denver and many of them don’t know how it affects them or where to consume it.”

Benjamin shared his thoughts on the importance of having a legal place to consume for both locals and visitors, especially as Denver is a hotspot for tourism. “We’re already one of the biggest tourist attractions for the cannabis industry in Colorado, and we want to use Tetra as a social and educational space for the state,” adds Benjamin. “We’ve waited so long and we’re ready to go.” In the past, the Tetra Lounge functioned as a private social club.

In an interview with 9News, Benjamin also shared that his company offers a daily membership that grants customers access to the lounge for a full day, as well as monthly or yearly memberships for residents or frequent visitors.

The Coffee Joint now also has a hospitality license. So far, he was the only operator allowed to allow consumption on site as long as it took place outside. The city’s program was revamped, and The Coffee Joint was licensed for the new hospitality rules.

Two other hospitality license applications are pending. The Patterson Inn, a popular destination for ghost hunters, recently received a recommendation from a hearing officer to be approved for a cannabis hospitality license, as of a March 4 hearing. “Today was an important step in that process,” said owner Chris Chiari after the hearing. “Licensing businesses of this type is the best way for the city to regulate and take enforcement action when necessary.” Chiari plans to create a cannabis-friendly zone for hotel guests, although use would not be permitted in hotel rooms and guests would have their own would have to bring cannabis as there would be no sale on site.

The Denver Weed Lounge is also applying to be a hospitality license holder and offers sales, and if approved, would allow customers to purchase and consume cannabis on-site.

Eric Escudero, communications director for the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses, told The Denver Gazette about the program’s focus on social justice. “For the first six years of the program, only individuals who are designated as Social Justice Applicants are eligible to apply for a hospitality job,” Escudero said. “We want to deliver on the full promise of legalization, and we believe that means making sure there is equitable access so that more people can benefit economically — not just those who have a financial advantage or the benefit of connections.”

It took some time for this program to come to fruition. Denver City Council approved smoking lounges in April 2021.