Denver Marijuana Lounge Still Closed Over Four Months After Ribbon Cutting

Dewayne Benjamin was on top of the world March 30. The owner of Tetra Lounge, Denver’s longest-running private marijuana club, had finally been approved for a public pot-hospitality license. News cameras, Mayor Michael Hancock and Governor Jared Polis were at Benjamin’s RiNo venue for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“I’m very excited to be at the opening of Colorado’s newest business,” Polis said to the crowd at 3039 Walnut Street, boasting that Denver had “the nation’s first” venue licensed for indoor pot smoking at the state and local level. Hancock added to the praise, saying he was “proud” of Tetra’s growth since it had opened as a private pot lounge in 2018.

“That’s a big deal. We’re glad you can come out of the shadows and [can] operate right,” Hancock added.

As a Black-owned pot…