Smoking weed and playing video games seemingly go together like peanut butter and jelly. So naturally, a place where you can game and toke up (other than your mom’s basement) would be ideal. However, due to some of the strict laws surrounding social consumption of cannabis, we haven’t seen any such establishments come to fruition.
Until now.
You Can Get High At Denver’s New Gaming Lounge
The city of Denver has officially awarded Vape and Play, an adult gaming lounge, a cannabis social consumption business license—only the second of its kind. The first license was awarded to the cannabis cafe, The Coffee Joint, which began allowing pot consumption back in March.
According to the company’s website, the premise will contain various forms of entertainment to go along with its main attraction—legal pot.
“Vape and Play will have a diverse sampling of all kinds of entertainment that pairs perfectly with cannabis,” the website said. “We will offer everything from classic board games, coloring books and cards, to trivia night and yoga class, educational seminars and tasting events, even a comedian or musical group thrown into the mix. Its Vape and Play time! And the possibilities are endless.”
The idea for a cannabis-centric video game lounge was thought of by Taylor Rosean, the owner of Vape and Play. According to Rosean, he decided to go into business with his mother, who also saw the untapped potential of a social consumption lounge. As it currently stands, Colorado is under a pilot program, titled initiative 300, which is set to test social consumption lounges in Denver.
“I actually became business partners with my mother,” Rosean said in an interview with CPR. “This industry is very untested. It’s actually officially labeled as a pilot program, which means there’s some uncertainty. And we really believe that eventually it’ll be realized to a full-blown program, but trying to get that to an investor was a hard point, to say the least.”
The program, which was voted on back in 2016, but only has approved two licenses thus far, is filled with a variety of restrictions making it difficult to conduct business. For example, premises are required to be at least 1,000 feet of schools, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, and public recreation facilities, amongst others. Additionally, no alcohol can be sold at any social consumption location.
Rosean said the elongated licensing process itself proved to be difficult.
“It’s a pretty complicated process that actually required us to pay for the property to be empty for six months just to even get to this point,” he said. “It’s been a little hair-raising. It’s definitely a very nerve-wracking process but at the end it’s been incredibly fruitful and very much so worth it.”
But Can You Purchase Weed At Denver’s New Gaming Lounge?
Unfortunately, due to state law, marijuana can’t be sold and consumed under the same roof. However, patrons are allowed to bring their own cannabis to Denver’s new gaming lounge. Vape and Play will feature a vape bar where people can consume their own stash.
“Every ticket purchased also includes unlimited access to consume your (BYOC) favorite cannabis flower or concentrates at our in-house vape bar, with the help of our highly trained vapetenders who will insure every hit is perfect for you.”
