First recreational marijuana club closed

GlobalPost

The nation’s first known recreational marijuana club has already closed its doors after a dispute with its landlord.

Paul Lovato, owner of the White Horse Inn in the southern Colorado town of Del Norte, said he wanted to be first in the country to open a marijuana club, according to the Associated Press. He beat another pot club owner in Denver by a few hours.

Lovato had the keys to his the building that would house the White Horse Inn on Monday, but his lease didn't start until Tuesday, reported the Denver Post. The owner said that when his landlord saw the publicity about his club, he canceled the lease before it took effect.

"By opening early I kind of screwed myself out of my building," Lovato said Tuesday.

More from GlobalPost: Marijuana legalized in Colorado, Washington

In November, Colorado voters legalized use and limited possession of marijuana, noted the AP. The measure bans public consumption, but not members-only group smoking.

The Post said that selling non-medical marijuana in the state is still illegal, but people are now allowed to give it to one another without compensation.

Lovato had planned on having a storefront for customers to buy coffee and T-shirts, as well as other items, while a private building next door would be for smoking free samples of marijuana.

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