The Marijuana Restaurant Opening Soon

Restaurants may catch a buzz from legalized marijuana sooner than many expected, according to experts who explored the near-term opportunities for the industry at its annual convention, the National Restaurant Association Show.

The speakers noted that the legalization of recreational cannabis use in nine states hasn’t come with all the variables decided. For instance, they explained, the pioneers haven’t specified where and how cannabis and its derivatives can be consumed in public social settings. The focus to date has been on the sale, propagation and processing of marijuana, not the places where it can be consumed. The exception is Colorado, where local jurisdictions have the authority to decide where groups can light up or indulge in edibles. That leeway resulted in the recent opening of what may be the nation’s first legal social consumption site, a beverage place in Denver called The Coffee Joint.