Colorado continues to break barriers after becoming one of the first states to legalize cannabis and decriminalize psilocybin. The Centennial State’s newest innovation? Ushering in the nation’s first licensed cannabis consumption bus.
The Cannabis Experience prepared for its official roll out on March 1 in Denver. The canna-friendly transportation experience offers shuttle services to and from Denver International Airport, tours of the city and tourist attractions and private party bus rentals with food and art themes, like “Toking & Tacos” or tours of the art murals in the RiNo Art District, CBS News reports.
The shuttle service will also offer visits to cannabis grows and dispensaries.
“The cannabis industry is extremely regulated and not diverse. It took us almost a year to become operational, so we are excited to be the country’s first safe, legal, licensed mobile hospitality business,” Co-owner Sarah Woodson told CBS. “We are social equity and African American. We will have amazing tours, and grow our fleet over the next 24 months and work on expanding into other local cities such as Aurora. We are helping move the needle forward in the legalization fight. We are proud to be in the cannabis industry.”
The Cannabis Experience has been in business since 2016 with the goal of providing cannabis enthusiasts and tourists with a “safe, intimate environment to enjoy weed,” adding that crafting these curated, elevated experiences centering cannabis is their passion.
“After serving over 10,000 Denverites and cannabis tourists, the Cannabis Experience is now the first licensed legal cannabis tourism company in America,” the website states. The current options include airport pick-ups and drop-offs, the Toking & Tacos Tour and the RiNo Murals Tour. Additionally, the “Mile High Loop” is a 120-minute tour starting at Union Station, including 16th Street Mall, Larimer Square, the US Mint, Denver Art Museum and more. This tour also includes a dispensary shop with added discounts.
The consumption bus holds 12 passengers, decked out with flowers and other hippie iconography on the interior and exterior, the Denver Post reports. While Coloradans might be familiar with a handful of other cannabis buses in the city, they weren’t technically legal and were forced to shut down or close by authorities. Conversely, The Cannabis Experience has a state-issued cannabis hospitality permit and a license from the city.
There are still strict regulations regarding how the bus operates, though. Denver requires cannabis buses to have a GPS tracking system and ventilation that keeps second-hand cannabis smoke from reaching the driver, and The Cannabis Experience must also submit pre-planned driving routes ahead of time and provide updates should these routes change.
Each ride also begins with an ID check to make sure patrons are over 21 years of age.
Woodson admitted to the Post that, since they are the first licensed company in this regard, there will be a learning curve to ensure everything works as smoothly as possible, and she hopes to secure a dispensary partner soon. In the future, she hopes that The Cannabis Experience will one day have multiple buses, shuttling cannabis consumers and enthusiasts to even more attractions across the Mile High City and its neighboring suburbs, should regulations allow it.
It wasn’t until 2019 that state regulators developed the cannabis hospitality license, allowing a new type of business for patrons to use cannabis on site, though progress has been slow. Cities were first given the opportunity to opt in on Jan. 1, 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic was one major hindrance. Denver waited until November 2021 to open applications.
Before The Cannabis Experience, the only other places people could openly consume cannabis in Denver County were The Coffee Joint in Lincoln Park and Tetra Lounge in RiNo. The Coffee Joint only allows patrons to vape or eat edibles; Tetra Lounge initially allowed patrons to smoke indoors by operating as a private club with membership fees, the business had to apply for the new license when Denver opted to allow cannabis hospitality. It’s currently closed to upgrade the ventilation system to allow indoor smoking, Denver Post reports.
“We’re excited for the fact the one thing that’s been missing in Denver’s market for legalized marijuana are places for people to consume legally,” Denver Excise and Licenses Spokesperson Eric Escudero told the Post, adding that The Cannabis Experience will be the first place in Denver history where people can legally smoke flower.
