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Tetra Lounge, Denver’s longest-running cannabis-friendly venue, announced that it will close next month, but the owner promises a new weed-friendly venture is on the way.
Dewayne Benjamin opened Tetra in 2018 at 3039 Walnut St. as a private club where members could bring their own cannabis to consume. As the years have gone by, Tetra has gone back and forth with city officials and updated its model to a licensed, public-serving establishment.
Benjamin says it’s time to move on from the RiNo area, however.
“It got expensive. There is only so much I could do with that building. RiNo served its purpose. We accomplished getting a license and providing a safe space for the community, but you grow or you die,” Benjamin says. “Just like any small business in downtown Denver, it feels like nine years is a miraculous accomplishment. I used to be Tetra’s only employee.”
Benjamin has struggled to renovate Tetra’s current building to meet the standards of local operating codes while keeping the place open, he says. On top of that, Benjamin has been fined and temporarily shut down several times by the city since opening for a variety of reasons, such as alleged violations of the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act (that one was dismissed). He estimates Tetra has been fined around $75,000 by the city law enforcement and licensing officials over the years, with most of the debates hinging on what was public and private about Tetra’s membership model.
Most recently, Benjamin was fined $10,000 by the Denver Department of Licensing & Consumer Protection (formerly the Department of Excise & Licenses) in February after vendors at a Tetra event allegedly sold cannabis and psychedelics on the property during an event in 2025. Tetra still has to pay that one off, he says.
Benjamin says he’s felt “targeted” by the city in the past for operating a cannabis-friendly business, which have been rare in Denver despite the Mile High reputation. He and others in the cannabis hospitality space have questioned some of the operating restrictions placed on their businesses over the years, such as certain surveillance, location and privacy rules. A handful of other cannabis venues and tour services have come and gone as the industry continues working toward successful business models, but Benjamin is confident that a new location would help him succeed with his current grasp of the requirements.
“When I got our location, RiNo wasn’t RiNo. … Licensing wasn’t a thing, regulations weren’t a thing when we started,” he says. “We’re really starting over and building a model that’s closer to what [the city] wants me to be.”
Benjamin says he’s in the process of securing a “better, more suitable building” for the next phase of Tetra. He plans to have “more activations” to entertain visitors and to continue following the bring-your-own-cannabis (BYOC) model at the next location, as well. According to Benjamin, he is looking at a “few options” for a new location but has a preferred spot in mind, and will announce more when he sorts out zoning and operational matters.
Tetra has been a hotpot for the Denver area’s cannabis community and industry gatherings, attracting celebrity visitors like Method Man, John Leguizamo, Wiz Khalifa and Aaron Gordon. It’s one of just three licensed and operating cannabis consumption establishments in Denver, and the only pot-friendly venue in RiNo and the downtown area. Benjamin believes Tetra’s long-time members and visitors will follow him to the next location, which he says will be bigger than Tetra’s current 2,000-square-foot setup.
“It will be a new location, same vibe,” Benjamin envisions. “I think it will be a very easy transition, just with the support we’ve had from the community throughout the years.”
The next round Tetra will “coincide better with regulations,” according to Benjamin, but he’s still got a few issues to sort out with the licensing department. According to the discipline order issued by the DLCP on Feb. 18, Tetra had 90 days to pay off its $10,000 fine and an additional 60 days if an extension was approved. It has been 153 days since Tetra’s discipline order was issued; under the terms, Tetra could face another $10,000 fine and forced closure for 60 days as a result of nonpayment.
Benjamin says he’s focused on paying off the fine as he ushers Tetra into the next phase. He plans to hold the lounge’s annual Halloween in July costume party on Friday, July 31, and a “Final Friday” event on Friday, Aug. 7. Tetra’s last day will be Monday, Aug. 10, according to Benjamin.
“I’ve been working at Tetra every day for nine years. I’ll take a little break, reevaluate the market and bring something to the community that’s been a proven need,” he says. “We’re just trying to do our due diligence on our side. Hopefully it goes as smooth as possible into the next location.”
