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U.S. NEWS Thursday 20 april 2017

American Living:

Inside a Colorado pot club - a rare and endangered species

KRISTEN WYATT Johnson is frank about the
Associated Press nascent pot-club business.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. “It’s not sustainable,” says
(AP) — It’s the fish tank fea- Johnson, a former dis-
turing a colorful reef made pensary manager who
of glass marijuana pipes opened Speakeasy in 2013
that ultimately sets the after going to marijuana
Speakeasy Vape Lounge meet-ups and concluding
apart from any other strip- his buddies needed a per-
mall bar and confirms what manent place to get high.
it really is: one of the United His club has only a few doz-
States’ only legal pot clubs. en members, scraping by
The fact that it and a few selling fish sticks and fries,
dozen like it already exist in along with tickets for mu-
Colorado was all but lost in sic acts. The video game
a recent fight over whether lounge in back sells its own
the state would become memberships, offering a
the first to regulate such es- male stoner’s dream of
tablishments, underscoring playing video games and
the patchwork approach smoking pot for hours on
that legal weed states end.
have taken in sorting out But Johnson says he’s
where it’s OK to consume barely paying the bills. A
pot in public. In this April, 12, 2017 photo, Linda Wood, left, and Megan Ballance, smoke cigarettes outside of big item is missing from his
Colorado allows pot clubs, the Speakeasy Vape Lounge, one of the United States’ only legal pot clubs, in Colorado Springs, menu: marijuana.
but state lawmakers ulti- Colo. Speakeasy has been open since 2013. Colorado allows pot clubs, but state lawmakers ulti- Colorado says its pot re-
mately decided against mately decided against a plan to regulate them statewide. tailers can’t allow on-site
a plan to regulate them (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert) consumption. The result is
statewide. Democratic For now, a few regulars ment surgery. statewide regulations for clubs that provide “free”
Gov. John Hickenlooper come to socialize, shoot “I come to the club to con- pot clubs, it is unclear marijuana in exchange for
warned that passing the pool and smoke concen- sume because my apart- whether the clubs can donations, though those
measure could invite a trated marijuana, using ments don’t allow it. Plus, also sell food and alcohol, clubs are frequently raided
federal crackdown. special water pipes de- there’s a lot of kids running or even allow patrons to by police and aren’t keen
The capital city of Denver, signed for a process called around, and I’d rather be smoke inside. on media attention.
meanwhile, has approved “dabbing,” a reference safe,” Wood says with a Colorado legalized recre- Those club owners may be
but not yet enacted so- to how little marijuana is shrug before turning to her ational pot five years ago wise to lie low. A decades-
called “social use” of mari- needed to produce the pipe and taking a long and has the nation’s most old network of outdoor
juana at places like coffee desired effect. drag of concentrated mar- mature regulated industry. marijuana “smoke shacks”
shops or yoga studios. Speakeasy serves only food ijuana. Soft rock plays in the Still, visitors and pot smokers dotting the Breckenridge
With no other weed state and water. No alcohol is background, and a muted who can’t or won’t con- ski area were famously torn
opting to regulate clubs allowed. Members must TV shows CNN. sume it at home have few down by the resort in 2014
or Amsterdam-style cof- bring their own weed and Speakeasy is a legitimate places to go. after they appeared on an
fee shops, the Speakeasy pay a slight membership establishment in every way. From Denver to moun- episode of “Inside Edition.”
Vape Lounge in Colorado fee, about $25 a month, for It has a license and pays lo- tain resorts like Aspen and And in the Denver suburb
Springs stands as one of a the privilege of smoking pot cal taxes, and the signs out Breckenridge, police wrote of Englewood, city council
very few regulated mari- with fellow marijuana users. front look like pretty much nearly 800 citations for the members were apparently
juana clubs anywhere in “I walk here twice a day to any other bar except for new crime of public con- taken by surprise by 2016
the U.S. And its home city smoke,” says Linda Wood, the warning “DAB AT YOUR sumption in 2014, the first news reports that the city
doesn’t allow recreational 59, a club member who OWN RISK.” year recreational sales be- had licensed a pot club.
pot retail sales and might started using pot for pain Its future is tenuous, though. gan. They then voted to allow
shut places like this down. relief after a hip-replace- Since Colorado has no Speakeasy owner Jaymen no more clubs.q