Though current regulations prevent marijuana consumption at Colorado businesses that sell alcohol, one establishment is testing whether another type of consumption makes a legal match.
On Dec. 8, 2017, Rita Tsalyuk, one of the owners of 1136 Yuma, a medical marijuana dispensary located off of Interstate 25 and West Eleventh Avenue in Denver’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, applied for a permit to open a coffee shop and cannabis lounge next door. She plans to name it “The Coffee Joint” and, taking advantage of 2016’s Initiative 300, which allows for limited marijuana consumption at businesses and private events, will offer on-premise cannabis consumption in addition to offering coffee, tea, and food.
Tsalyuk’s application is the first cannabis consumption establishment license applied for in Denver. This is due to the apparently overwhelming list of rules and regulations that, before this application, left many potential businesses wondering if they could meet all of the requirements.
On Nov. 18, Colorado officials announced that there would be no licenses issued which permit the use of marijuana in any establishment that has a liquor license and serves alcohol to customers. This announcement was, of course, a significant blow to many of the hopeful restaurants and bars that would have otherwise been able to apply for a marijuana-use permit after Initiative 300 passed in Denver.
The Colorado Restaurant Association also agrees with this new ruling, citing an increase in liability risk inherent in allowing the consumption of both marijuana and alcohol in the same establishment. Issues of liability would most likely result in a drastic increase in insurance rates and premiums, as well as many non-renewals of currently held policies.
Whether or not they receive the permit, Tsalyuk and her business partner, Kirill Merkulov, a co-owner of 1136 Yuma, will still open The Coffee Joint. If officials approve the application, they plan to charge an entrance fee of $5, which will include a cup of tea or coffee. There will be a café menu with various food items for sale, and a lounge for the consumption of cannabis edibles as well as vaping, although no smoking will be allowed on premises indoors due to the Colorado Clean Indoor Act. In addition to this, Tsalyuk plans to have a private conference style room for private events, meetings, and parties, all which can include cannabis.
With written support from the La Alma-Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association, Tsalyuk and Merkulov expect a very positive community response to their proposed café. They are hopeful that they will be granted a license soon after the hearing, even with the substantial rules and regulations instituted by city licensing officials during the summer.
For now, Tsalyuk and Merkulov will all have to wait for a public hearing, set to be scheduled within the next few months , this approval of the permit to be decided then.
