New Dispensary Opens Next to Bonnie Brae Ice Cream

Denver has a new candidate for the best-smelling block in town.

Silver Stem Fine Cannabis is now open at 2331 Ohio Avenue, right next to the longstanding Bonnie Ice Cream.The store is Silver Stem's tenth location in Colorado, and the first dispensary to open in the Bonnie Brae neighborhood.

Although the recreational pot shop's July 2 opening was quiet, Silver Stem's journey to open the store next to the popular ice cream parlor was anything but.

A handful of neighboring businesses, including a liquor store that has been there for nearly forty years, supported Silver Stem's request to transfer a dispensary license from Federal Boulevard to the Ohio Avenue address, but there was a last-minute push to stop the move from a group of nearby residents. Denver's licensing department ultimately approved the dispensary transfer into Bonnie Brae last November, but the group that opposed the dispensary sued Denver's Excise & Licenses Department over the decision. That lawsuit was thrown out, however, and Silver Stem has been operating relatively smoothly since, according to founding partner Stan Zislis.

"The lawsuit got dismissed, and we haven't heard anything since. We're very grateful it worked out the way it did, and we're very grateful to have so many supporters," Zislis says.

Oppositional concerns largely centered on the number of children frequenting nearby businesses in Bonnie Brae, including the ice cream shop. However, Zislis has repeatedly told concerned residents in the past that no marijuana products will be visible from outside, and store patrons won't be allowed to consume products at the store or in the public areas surrounding it — both of which are already mandated by state law.

Although there is a Lightshade dispensary less than five blocks away on East Mississippi Avenue, Zislis believes that the historic business sector in which Silver Stem now resides. which includes the liquor store, ice cream parlor and a handful of restaurants, will be advantageous for business. As Colorado's marijuana industry experiences a two-year recession and record-low wholesale prices, that could come in handy.

"The market has changed, and it's down by a lot right now. We're just hoping the conventional rules of retail will prevail. It comes down to location, location, location, so we're very excited to be in the Bonnie Brae neighborhood," Zislis notes.

Silver Stem is focusing on retail hot spots in Sheridan, as well. The chain was recently approved by the City of Sheridan to move from 2800 West Hampden Avenue and into the River Point at Sheridan shopping center, which is home to Costco, Target, PetSmart and nearly forty other stores and restaurants. According to Zislis, the Sheridan transfer will take place over the next couple of months, with the new store expected to open by Thanksgiving.