The Coffee Joint: Denver’s First Marijuana Social Consumption Business
It is not much, but it is the beginning of marijuana social consumption establishments in Colorado. The Coffee Joint is the first official social consumption business to be allowed by Colorado and will allow patrons to bring their own cannabis vaporizers or edibles and consume them on the premises. Rita Tsalyuk is the owner of The Coffee Joint and also owns a portion of the next door Dispensary. A far cry from an Amsterdam coffee shop, but Colorado has to start somewhere.
There are hotels like the Bud+Breakfast allowed in Colorado that allow guests to smoke marijuana, but they are not considered places of social consumption. The biggest issue Colorado is facing is that there are few legal places for tourists to go to consume marijuana, so Initiative 300 was approved by the people of Colorado in 2016.
The Coffee Joint soon can allow customers age 21 or older to vape or consume edibles they bring to the cafe, which is already open at 1130 Yuma Court, just east of Interstate 25 in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. But the shop will not allow any smoking, which is allowed only outdoors under state law, and can’t sell any marijuana products on site.
The owners of the shop, which has ownership ties to a dispensary next door, had been expecting official approval after a public license hearing Feb. 9 drew no opposition. Now co-owner Rita Tsalyuk is eager to allow consumption sometime in the next couple weeks, pending building and safety inspections, along with a schedule of yoga classes and educational and art events.
“Tons of people already came in,” she said. “We’re offering free coffee and sneak previews” of the shop.
Approved by 54 percent of Denver voters in November 2016, Initiative 300 resulted in the availability of the first-of-its-kind cannabis consumption establishment license under a pilot program.
Whether establishments for social consumption will become less restrictive, allowing the smoking of marijuana as well as the purchase of cannabis products, still remains to be seen. Are you anxious to go check out The Coffee Joint?
read more at denverpost.com
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Denver social consumptionInitiative 300marijuana social consumptionRita TsalyukThe Coffee Joint
