Lighting Up at Colorado's First Legal Weed Bar: What to Expect, What it Costs, and What You Need To Know

Have you ever wondered what your favorite neighborhood bar would look like if it was stocked with weed from all over the state and patrons were openly smoking their favorite products?

You walk in, say hi to a few regulars, and then purchase a pre-roll and an infused beverage before lighting up for the big game?

Welcome to JAD's, Colorado's first licensed cannabis bar where they offer single-serving cannabis products that can be consumed onsite.

When the bar opened, I'll admit I was skeptical; there have been many attempts to open cannabis consumption businesses, including licensed plays, and most have been unsuccessful. Current laws surrounding profitability and consumption (I.e. clean air laws meant to mitigate tobacco smoke) have all but made it impossible. But, ever hopeful, I set up one of my interviews for the ETHOS magazine at this newfound bar, and hoped for the best.

If, like me, you've yet to make the pilgrimage to Amsterdam’s Red Light District to enjoy a true coffee shop experience, a visit to JAD's will be unlike most cannabis venues you've ever been to.

For starters, you can't bring your own weed.

Or your own pipe.

And you certainly can't bring any tobacco products (including yours truly's favorite rollable, Backwoods).

Like a neighborhood pub, you can't bring your own supplies, and you can't bring your own consumption devices.

Let's be honest, have you ever brought your own beer to the bar? Your favorite liquor? Your own glassware? No. And the same holds true for a cannabis bar.

If you want to imbibe, you have to purchase onsite.

Remember, this is a bar, not a dispensary. That means that purchase amounts are limited differently, and prices are in accordance with a consumption, not a retail, establishment.

You can buy:

• One or Two grams of flower

• Up to a gram of concentrates, or

• Up to 20 milligrams of THC-infused products (edibles and drinks).

When I first walked in, I was greeted promptly by an attendant who checked my ID and instructed I find a seat at one of the many tables or bar.

In unfamiliar territory, I offered a meek response about having to stock up at the bar first, to which I was informed that the establishment is full service. Yes, the weed comes to you. They'll even bring the full display with them if you request it.

Once you find your table, an attendance will ask you what you'll be smoking: flower, concentrates, or edibles.

Note: You can only see a display of one category at a time (they won't bring all of the hash and all of the flower and all of the edibles to your table for you to peruse). I chose flower, as I didn't (yet) have a way to smoke hash, and the timeline of edibles didn't work great with my planned interview at the bar.

JAD's has their full menu online if you want to plan ahead and get a sense of what’s available.

I was pleased to see multiple brands that I recognized. With that said, management is fairly aggressive about their "brand neutrality" efforts, which I was not a fan of. The flower display is labeled by genetic, but all identifiable branding (who grew it) is removed. This is intentional.

Many consumers, especially on the adult-use market, become partial to certain brands out of "hype" and have not ventured outside of this comfort zone; JAD's brand neutrality approach is an attempt to encourage consumers to engage with different offerings, and let their senses make the judgment.

When I asked who grew a few of the genetics that I'd picked, I was staunchly refused the information (even though it is readily available on the website, listed by brand). On my second purchase, I was, again, met with resistance.

Totally valid.

With that said, as a grower myself, I'm a bit more discerning than the average adult-use customer, and my personal brand preferences are largely based on what I know about cultivation processes rather than whatever's hype and trending.

I'd love to see a secondary or "advanced" menu that catered to the connoisseur.

For those that have a decent understanding of the market and its offerings, it would be superb to have the option of a complex, comprehensive menu that included facts about cultivation ingredients, terpene testing, minor cannabinoids and TAC (all information required by law to be on retail packaging). This would satisfy both the effort to encourage experimentation among novice users, and the weed-nerd needs of those in and around the industry.

As they say, "the nose knows," and, without branding, my nose ended up picking selections from three producers that I would have normally purchased in a dispensary.

Over three different transactions, I tried...

• Bloom County's Secret Mints

• Kindlove's Ace's High

• LocolLove's Cap'n Crunch Berries.

All of the bud was $10 a gram or $18 for two, which, with tax and tip works out to about $25 for every two grams.

Now, the weed from these brands was good, but, like most legal establishments, a lack of humidity control leads to very dry weed.

Out of the three above, I would only recommend Kindlove's flower (on a return trip, I also enjoyed Cuban Crew's various offerings, which came in a pre-sealed glass jar).

The others weren't bad, just nothing to write home about, and, for the same price, I'd pick Kindlove.

Since you can't bring your own anything, every purchase comes with all of the tools you'll need to consume.

Each order is single-serve; you can't run up a tab. I purchased in two gram increments, essentially a king-sized joint per purchase. Once you pay, your attendant will bring you your cannabis as well as a box of papers, lighter, grinder and a tray to roll on.

Don't forget to tip!

Yes, you can buy weed at a dispensary without tipping (though you should still tip your budtenders).

Yes, you can buy beer at the liquor store without tipping the sales clerk.

This is a bar, a service-based establishment, and, if you receive good service, tipping is appreciated. (Additionally, as this is a relatively new model and business, they can get overwhelmed from time to time with sales demands, and tipping a reasonable amount will ensure you aren't always at the bottom of the priority list).

If you wish, you can join the bar's membership program to have access to upgraded smoking devices, ranging in price from $20-60 per day (monthly discounts are available).

As an avid hash consumer, I wanted to try some of the selections but did not have a rig. Hash purchases come with a small electronic dab straw (think "battery operated weed snooter"), but, if you're buying top shelf products, this can be a bit rudimentary.

Because my good friend Chef Roilty was hosting an event at JAD's later that month, and two daily memberships was significantly more than a single monthly membership, I signed up for the tier that allowed me to try out Puffco's latest device, the Proxy, a sherlock-style dry dabbing device.

If you are only a casual concentrate consumer, or you don't consume at all, the membership is unnecessary, and simply rolling up a fatty with one of the many supplied papers is the most affordable route.

With that said, I tried both Viola and Mountain Select rosins (available by the half gram) while at the Bar, and both were enjoyable. I trended towards the flavor profiles of Mountain Select, but, admittedly, there are more hydrocarbon (BHO, PHO, CO2) extracts than solventless currently available.

As I mentioned, I ended up returning to JAD's within the month for my friend's event, which was open to the public FOR FREE and, as expected, consumption-friendly.

This is huge.

If you're anywhere near the cannabis industry, you'll know that consumption events are almost always private (out of legal necessity).

And if you've ever attended one of these events, you'll know that they usually come with a cover charge that helps offset organizer costs.

Because JAD's is a bar like any other, anyone (21+) can walk in and partake in the festivities of the evening.

Now, space is limited (physically), and like any other establishment, they have a maximum capacity. But the entire property is licensed, offering some unique ways to cater to larger crowds (including an outdoor area adjacent to the building).

While I was there, a couple walked in and literally told the door attendant "I just googled where can we get high and it brought us here."

Like a bar, this is a great place to meet new people and bump into familiar faces as well. While there for my interview with industry veteran Sanja Ganja, I also bumped into Dank By Pank, another longtime Colorado Cannabis brand. There are also regular pop-ups from licensed brands and, because it's a bar and consumption is legal, they are allowed to sample out products in a way that cannot be done at any other licensed retail facility.

Lastly, cannabis bars offer a consumption-friendly social venue for cannabis meetups and outings.

Whether you're just popping in for a quick J with an out-of-town friend or tailgating all day for college football, JAD's offers a legal space to grab some buds and light a few up.

A few parting notes:

• I'd love to see bar rules posted on their website (including advance notice about what is and is not allowed inside; I had brought a rig unnecessarily)

• If you're an advanced consumer who absolutely must have their specific hash and smoking setup, JAD's probably isn't what you're looking for (understand that, like a bar, you're stepping out of your realm and into someone else's)

• The bar does offer a limited selection of refreshments and snacks, but there is no kitchen onsite.

• There is no wifi, so, if you come to work, bring a hotspot.

• Purchase limits are per person per transaction:

  • 1 Person can buy 2 grams of flower

  • 2 People can buy 4 grams

  • 3 People can buy 6 grams, and so on.

• If you're coming with a group, it can help to call ahead

If you're a smoker not a drinker (or simply looking for an alternative to the local pub), give a cannabis bar a try.

And if you find yourself at JAD's as a result of this piece, tell ‘em Cannabenoid sent ya!

Until next week,

Ben "Social Consumer" Owens