Denver officials suspended the tobacco license of an East Colfax smoke shop after workers repeatedly sold tobacco and kratom to minors and illegally sold alcohol, psilocybin and marijuana, according to city records.
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Denver’s Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection issued a summary suspension order to Vibe Smoke Shop, 7530 E. Colfax Ave., on Tuesday, following months of community complaints, failed inspections and citations, city officials wrote in the order.
Licensing officials called it “one of the worst cases of alleged illegal product sales the city has ever uncovered in random inspections.”
Vibe Smoke Shop workers sold tobacco products to teenage “undercover operatives” on multiple occasions dating back to June 2025.
Complaints started to ramp up in January, when a community member reported two teenage boys were buying kratom products from the store, including the highly potent, opioid-like 7-hydroxymitraginine, or 7-OH. Despite repeated tickets and inspections, the store continued to sell the products for months afterward.
“As a result of their consumption of 7-OH products purchased from (Vibe Smoke Shop,) both underage boys experienced symptoms of kratom addiction and required outside addiction treatment services,” city officials said in the complaint.
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At the end of March, city and police officials came to the store for an unannounced inspection after receiving reports of after-hours parties and found large quantities of alcohol and flavored tobacco products; “magic mushroom” tablets; marijuana products with high levels of Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC; and kratom products with high levels of 7-OH.
The store does not have a liquor or marijuana license, according to the city. Levels of 7-OH in kratom are regulated by state law, and flavored tobacco products are banned in Denver.
Vibe Smoke Shop must appear for a virtual hearing on June 26 to show evidence why the store’s license should not be suspended or revoked, according to city records.
Phone calls to the store went unanswered on Tuesday, and the business did not have a voicemail set up.
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