Colorado’s first cannabis “bar” with THC beer opens this week
Coloradans will soon have a bar where they can belly up to enjoy a non-alcoholic, Thc-infused beer and order a gram of marijuana served with a side of rolling papers.
JAD’S Mile High Smoke is poised to be the first recreational sales and hospitality business in the state, a formal title meaning a lounge where consumers can buy weed and smoke, eat or drink it onsite. The business, located at 7667 Washington St. in Denver, is slated for a Friday, April 22, opening.
Owner Josh Davis said he’s an appropriate person to open this first-of-itskind business. As founder and CEO of Legacy 64, he’s spent five years helping other marijuana businesses in Colorado and beyond ensure they’re in compliance with state and local laws.
The Thornton resident hoped to apply his knowledge and skills to open a hospitality business, a model that was legalized by Colorado regulators in 2019. But when Adams County decided to do a lottery for licenses, Davis didn’t land one of the coveted five that local regulators had allotted. He did, however, garner one of 10 “backup” spots should the original five licensees fail to meet the county’s timeline or criteria for opening, he said. (Despite its Denver address, JAD’S is located in an unincorporated area of Adams County.)
And it just so happened that was the case.
“I got the call literally a year ago,” Davis said. “I started doing a happy dance.”
Intrigued cannabis enthusiasts who visit will find many of the makings of a regular bar, minus any alcohol. Davis has built out the 4,000-square-foot space to include televisions, as well as arcade and video games. An outdoor patio with artificial turf and a small stage to host bands and comedians during special events is under construction and expected to open by this summer, Davis said.
When it comes to the weed menu, JAD’S plans to serve flower, concentrates and edibles in various forms and offer all the necessary utensils for consumption. There are limits, however. According to state law, consumers can purchase up to 2 grams of flower, a half-gram of concentrate or 20 milligrams of edibles (served up to 10 milligrams at a time) during one visit.
Those looking for a joint can order a gram pre-roll or a gram of flower with rolling papers for a DIY experience. JAD’S will also serve flower with a silicone pipe that customers get to keep. Bongs, sanitized between use, will also be available to smokers, Davis said.
Looking to smoke concentrate? JAD’S has electric dab rigs to fit your fancy. Edibles include candies such as gummies and chocolates, as well as THC beer. Ceria Brewing Co.’s Grainwave Belgian-style white ale and its Indiewave India pale ale, each with 5 and 10 milligrams of THC
per serving, respectively, will be available in cans. That means you could have a pint or several within the limits of the law.
Other offerings include vape cartridges, single-use vape pens, and THC-INfused soda and sparkling water served on draft. Davis does not plan to sell topicals, as they do not fit with the bar’s ethos.
“We’re selling the basic, ‘I want to get high’ supply,” David said. “I am giving recreational users a safe place to come in and consume marijuana. A safe place to come and get high, be relaxed, stay as long as you want or you have to, because I’m not going to let you leave inebriated.”
JAD’S will also have munchies to pair with the experience. Behind the bar, it will serve light
snacks such as personal pizzas and hot dogs. Davis also plans to invite a rotating roster of food trucks to park in the outdoor area and sells eats.
Davis’ goal is not only to provide a safe and friendly place for recreational cannabis users to get high, but also to shatter the stigma associated with social consumption.
“I’m done with people hiding in the closet about smoking weed,” he said. “I’m trying to change the game, I’m trying to show the world what the future of cannabis is like… While I’m doing the first one, once I show people this can be done and it can be effective, there will be thousands of these.”