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First Recreational Marijuana Bar/Restaurant in CO Forced to Close

Whitehorse Hash and Marijuana Bar/RestaurantThe first recreational bar/restaurant to open in Colorado has already closed. Not because of Federal or State authorities, but because of a dispute with the landlord.

The White Horse Inn, in Del Norte, opened Monday as the first business in the state to allow people to use marijuana in the establishment. However, later in the day the business was forced to close by the landlord because apparently the lease for the space had not gone into effect yet.

White Inn owner, Paul Lovato, had the keys to the building that housed the White Horse Inn on Monday, but his lease on the building didn’t start until Tuesday, so the landloard cancelled the lease before it took effect.

Lovato said he opened for a few hours during the day Monday, long enough to be the first in the state and to draw the media attention that came with the distinction. But, “By opening early I kind of screwed myself out of my building,” Lovato said Tuesday.

Lovato’s business model called for having a storefront where customers could buy coffee, T-shirts and other items. In a building next door, customers could smoke free samples of marijuana.