Ask a Stoner: When Will State-Legal Pot Lounges Open?

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Dear Stoner: When will we be getting cannabis consumption lounges that allow smoking? I thought that idea passed in the last legislative session.
Mark F. H.

Dear Mark: Cannabis consumption establishment licenses were indeed legalized by the Colorado Legislature in 2019, but that doesn’t mean pot cafes are going to open immediately. The state Marijuana Enforcement Division, which has been holding rulemaking sessions throughout the fall on how to implement the law, won’t have a hospitality application program up and running until the beginning of 2020. And local governments will have to opt in to the program before any pot lounges, cafes or anything else allowing social consumption can even think about opening in that municipality.

click to enlarge

Jacqueline Collins

Denver and Colorado Springs are the only towns with local language allowing social consumption, and they can stick with it if they choose; Denver’s program doesn’t allow smoking indoors, and other localities can ban that, as well. It’s unlikely that any other towns and counties around the state will adopt official language accepting social consumption lounges by the beginning of 2020, but you can expect pot industry reps to start bringing up the idea soon at your local council meetings, if they haven’t already. Until then, you can try out the one licensed club in Denver, and a few (very few) mobile lounges and private clubs around Denver.

Send questions to [email protected].