The anticipation for Denver’s 2018 420 Rally continues to build as the battle for the permit is still underway. The 420 Rally is a monumental day for the cannabis industry and has been for years, with cannabis dispensary customers loving the great 420 marijuana deals and events that happen. The legalization of marijuana is a beautiful thing to celebrate, but the 2017 rally was far from a beautiful gathering. As many of us have already heard, the 420 Rally in 2017 cast a grim shadow on Denver’s professional cannabis industry. The unprofessionalism of the 2017 permit holder, Miguel Lopez, has caused the city of Denver to be very cautious with who receives the next permit. The chain of events that have led us to this point has put a ton of pressure and anticipation on the 420 Rally in 2018.
Recovering from 2017
The 420 Rally is one of the largest events to take place in Downtown Denver. This massive gathering of people from all walks of life symbolizes the widespread benefits that cannabis has to offer. It is more than just a plant. This plant has the ability to bring thousands of people together on one day, 4/20. It is no surprise that it is a competitive race to obtain the permit for Denver’s 420 Rally in 2018. To have the honor to put on such an event is a remarkable thing.
When Miguel Lopez was banned from applying for another permit, there were two optimistic candidates who literally raced to be the first to submit their application. Those two candidates were Michael Ortiz and Euflora. Euflora is a well-known local dispensary that is home to one of the most elegant and professional cannabis shops in Denver. They have a strong history of sponsoring the 420 Rally and were even sponsors of last year’s event. Euflora even helped Miguel Lopez from completely failing the city in 2017. Euflora saved the day by covering all of the artist’s fees to ensure the rally had the entertainment it promised.
The Race for the 420 Rally Permit
Even though Euflora would seem like a shoe-in for the permit, it was actually Michael Ortiz who was first given the permit for 2018. Euflora was so dedicated to obtaining the permit, they stood outside the Capitol Building for 15 days until they could turn their application in. Yet, Michael Ortiz somehow managed to turn his application in first. Crazy to think Euflora still didn’t get the application in first, right?
The applications were due on November 21, 2017. The city of Denver asked the applicants to line up on the northeast Court Street entrance, in order to keep things fair. That morning when the Euflora representative was walking into the building, he was faced with Michael Ortiz coming from the other direction. This quickly became an all-out foot race to the office door. Michael Ortiz barely beat out Euflora and turned in his application first. Since Michael Ortiz had all his ducks in a line, he was given the permit. However, it is now clear that Michael Ortiz lied to officers in order to line up at the incorrect entrance, which gave him a head start that morning.
After further investigation, the city found that Miguel Lopez may have been working closely with Mr. Ortiz to obtain the permit. They even have video footage of the two filling out an application together. They went on to find that there were some slight discrepancies in Mr. Ortiz’s application. Due to these findings, the city is now questioning Michael Ortiz’s application and may even deny his request. That leaves Euflora on deck for the permit, and they are ready to get to work!
What Can We Expect from the 420 Rally in 2018?
While we are still waiting for confirmation as to who will have the permit, the upcoming 420 rally is set to take place. It is safe to say that Euflora is sitting in a good place to receive the permit. Euflora’s CEO and co-founder, Pepe Brenton, has spoken out about their future plans for the 420 rally.
“Euflora is excited to put together a well-organized, top-level production. We plan to have a more diverse talent than previous years and ensure security is a top priority.” – Pepe Brenton
Euflora has quite the connections by being a renowned organization within the cannabis community. They know their community and are driven to create an event the city can be proud of. We can expect to see a well-rounded event with more vendors, better grub, a variety of stellar artists, and a safe/clean environment. Euflora is ready to show the state of Colorado and the nation what legalized cannabis is all about!
Even though we are waiting to hear if Euflora is actually in charge of the event, it is safe to say that this year’s rally will be on for the books. The cannabis community just hopes that whoever takes on the responsibility of this event understands who they are representing. In order for legalized cannabis to continue its widespread growth, we as a community must ensure a consistently professional environment. Let’s all hope the 420 rally for 2018 brings back the city’s trust in their cannabis community!
If you are interested in picking out cannabis products before going to the rally, check out Top Shelf, located 135 South Broadway Street.
Article by: Justice Council
