Denver has eased the way for cannabis lounges in the city on Monday by converting a temporary and expiring law allowing social consumption into permanent regulations, according to the Denver Post.
Under the temporary rules, only two social-use lounges have been able to open. The rules were set to expire in 2020, which posed difficulties for entrepreneurs who were considering a cannabis lounge operation, as many commercial leases run for three to five years and that meant some prospective business owners would have to commit to a lease outlasting the regulations. Banks and other sources of startup capital were also much less likely to provide loans in light of the businesses’ uncertain future.
Indeed, one of the city’s two social use lounges just shuttered earlier this month.
The Denver City Council voted 10-1 to make the laws permanent. While a few council members offered dissenting opinions, there was no significant opposition to the change. Council members are also considering changes to the zoning and distance requirements for some cannabis businesses, as well.
State lawmakers, meanwhile, are attempting to make changes to cannabis regulations to allow cannabis consumption at some Colorado businesses.
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