Colorado's first recreational marijuana club, which is also the first in the country, has closed its doors after only one day of operation because of problems with the landlord.
The White Horse Inn in Del Norte, Colo. was scheduled to open New Year's Day but owner Paul Lovato moved up the opening to New Year's Eve so he could open before Club 64, another marijuana club that was also scheduled to open New Year's Day, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
But the landlord backed out of the lease before it officially went into effect Tuesday after he saw all the publicity surrounding the earlier-than-expected opening, according to The Denver Post.
"By opening early I kind of screwed myself out of my building," Lovato told the Post. "It was really unexpected. I got caught up in the whole, 'I want to be the first to open' thing. And I did that. I was the first. ... I'm pretty proud of that."
Lovato opened a storefront where patrons could buy coffee or other products and then head over to a private building where they could smoke free samples of marijuana.
After he lost his shop, Lovato decided to host customers at his house instead, according to the Post.
The opening day dispute was just the latest hitch in Colorado's push to legalize marijuana.
Colorado voters legalized the use of marijuana in November but there was speculation the ballot measure wouldn't actually last because pot use is still illegal under federal law.
However, President Barack Obama put those fears to rest last month when he told Barbara Walters he had better things to do than go after pot smokers out West.
"It would not make sense for us to see a top priority as going after recreational users in states that have determined that it's legal," Obama said.
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