Lantern Is Hosting a Birthday Party for Colorado Marijuana — and You're Invited

Legal marijuana is having a birthday bash, and you're invited.

Colorado voters approved Amendment 64, the measure legalizing recreational marijuana, on November 6, 2012. Then-Governor John Hickenlooper signed an executive order recognizing the vote on December 10 of that year, making this the first state to officially legalize cannabis. (Washington voters approved a similar measure that year, but the governor took longer to sign it into law; Colorado also allowed recreational pot sales earlier, on January 1, 2014.)

Now Lantern, a marijuana delivery service that operates in Denver, is throwing a party to celebrate a decade of recreational marijuana legalization. "Decade of Dank: Celebrating a Decade of Legal Weed in Colorado" is set for Wednesday, November 30, at 950 Broadway, the former Broadway Market.

"We understand how hard Denver has worked over the last ten years to make cannabis legal and accessible. We're a newer entrant to the Denver market, and we just wanted to recognize all of the hard work that has been put in here over the last ten years," says Lantern CEO Meredith Mahoney.

Originally an offshoot of Drizly, a national alcohol-delivery service that has since been acquired by Uber, Lantern is based in Massachusetts, where it was launched in 2020; the company entered the Colorado marijuana market in 2021.

According to Mahoney, marijuana business executives across the country recognize the importance of what happened on November 6, 2012. "All of the work that the people of Denver and Colorado have done to pave the way for legal consumption, it was a real inspiration to the rest of us," she says.

Although marijuana consumption in the privacy of your home has been legal in Colorado for a decade, getting permission for public and social pot use is trickier for event organizers. Neither the State of Colorado nor the City of Denver currently offers a special event permit for marijuana hospitality, forcing the vast majority of pot-friendly events to be held at private venues. Because Lantern wanted this celebration to be open to the public, there will be no marijuana consumption allowed inside the building during "Decade of Dank," Mahoney acknowledges.

But there will be cannabis-related vendors, as well as food and drinks. Colorado-based artist Chelsea Lewinski will paint a live mural during the party, while Denver DJ Simone Says will handle the music. There will also be giveaways held throughout the evening by Lantern and its friends in the marijuana industry.

"We wanted this to bring the community together," Mahoney concludes, "both on the business and consumer sides."

"Decade of Dank: Celebrating a Decade of Legal Weed" in Colorado will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, November 30, at 950 Broadway. The event is free to attend, but organizers ask that guests register on Eventbrite.