You Can Now Smoke Weed Inside This Classy Denver Hotel, First In Nation Licensed For On-Premises Cannabis Use

Denver has long been a desirable travel destination. With the legalization of adult-use cannabis, tourism has been on fire and hotels have been trying to keep up. Indeed, a recent study showed an increase of 120,000 hotel rooms rented per month since legalization, yet public consumption was banned in Denver.

Enter The 420 Hotels, the first licensed cannabis consumption lounge in a hotel, which just obtained a provisional license from the city of Denver, clearing a major cannabis licensing hurdle to operate a cannabis consumption lounge as an amenity to the adjacent hotel.

Chris Chiari, CEO and founder of the 420 Hotels and the historic Patterson Inn is transforming the carriage house of the property into a first in the nation, in-hotel licensed legal cannabis consumption lounge.

“The 420 Hotels sees cannabis hospitality as the most unique and exciting amenity in the hotel industry today,” said Chiari, who was the first to apply for a license under Denver’s new social consumption rules. “We are excited to be the first cannabis lounge to be licensed as an amenity to overnight hospitality, and to provide a welcoming space for legal cannabis consumption.” 

Heads In Beds

“Licensed cannabis hospitality is the final mile in the effort to destigmatize and normalize cannabis possession and use. This has been my career focus for just over a decade and it’s exciting to be leading the charge with our keystone property, The Patterson Inn and our cannabis consumption lounge, The 420 Denver,” said Chiari. 

"The 420 Hotels Inc. is pairing four-star hospitality with a licensed cannabis lounge. Our brand focus is heads in beds, and we see the addition of a licensed lounge for cannabis consumption as one of the most unique and exciting amenities in hospitality today,” Chiari told Benzinga.

The da Vinci room

With the provisional license in hand, The 420 Hotels Inc. is moving forward on renovating the carriage house of the Victorian era inn with a lounge that adheres to recently passed state laws for commercial cannabis consumption spaces. The goal is to have the updates, funded by an equity crowdfunding campaign through Republic.com, complete by the end of 2022. 

Hotel lobby

“We look forward to welcoming the canna-curious as well as informed consumers looking for a space that doesn't require sneaking around and allows for the open and responsible use of cannabis in a social environment,” Chiari said.

Courtesy photos

Original publication: March 30, 2022