The licensing requirements have been difficult for businesses, and the program has come under some scrutiny.

Today, Vape and Play received Denver’s second-ever approval for a social consumption license, meaning they will be one of only two businesses in the city where patrons can publicly consume cannabis products, according to Eric Escudero, director of communications for Denver’s Excise and Licenses Department.

“We really want to set the industry standard and show the world that this can be done and establish Denver as the cannabis mecca as there’s more competition globally for cannabis tourism,” said Taylor Rosean, one of the founders of Vape and Play. “I can’t even tell you how elated I am to have this opportunity. This was just a pipe dream even two years ago.”

Vape and Play follows The Coffee Joint, which became the first business to secure a social consumption license earlier this year. Denver City Council has been considering possible changes to the program to make it a little easier for businesses.

Rosean believes some of his company’s technology helped them through a licensing process that other applicants have found too difficult — and he hopes to sell some of that technology to other businesses hoping to secure their own licenses.

“This is a mass consumption solution for the public,” he said of the company’s “badpenny” vaporizer. “Before now people have been trying to make the best what is out there, but there hasn’t been a whole lot that met the new needs of the regulations.”

Vape and Play, at 1753 South Broadway, also has an amusement permit from Denver which allows their business to incorporate more than weed use.

“This is more an event center that happens to have a vape bar attached to it,” Rosean said.

They still have a couple of inspections that need to take place before they can officially open their doors, like the fire business license inspection and the public health business license inspection but as of today, they’ve gotten over the major hurdle in obtaining the social consumption license.

Vape and Play has been approved to stay open from 9 a.m. until 10:30 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday, and will be open a little later on the weekends with an 11:30 p.m. close time from Thursday through Saturday.