Loveland is set to get its first retail marijuana dispensary this summer

Loveland’s first recreational marijuana dispensary is expected to open Aug. 2 after the city’s licensing authority approved its retail marijuana license Thursday.

The decision cleared the way for Natural Alternatives to open at 1505 N. Lincoln Ave. and immediately narrowed the field of competitors, after another applicant withdrew because its proposed location conflicted with the city’s one-mile separation requirement.

The license was granted to Pop Stars LLC, whose majority owner is Matthew Bishop, founder of Natural Alternatives in Fort Collins.

Bishop opened that store in 2015 and testified the business has operated for more than a decade without license suspensions or revocations. He said the company has built its reputation on customer service while maintaining close working relationships with regulators and adapting to the state’s frequently changing marijuana regulations.

In Loveland, Bishop said he will personally oversee day-to-day operations alongside two longtime managers from the original location.

The Pop Stars LLC ownership group also includes Fort Collins businessman Michael Leary, who testified during the hearing that he managed much of the local permitting and development process, and Loveland contractor Stephen Wimp, who said his role will primarily be as an investor and adviser.

Crucially, the partnership also includes former Loveland dispensary owner Tanner Copeland, whose minority stake satisfies the city’s legacy ownership requirement established in the ordinance approved by voters in 2024.  He once owned and operated Rocky Mountain Kind at 1710 W. Eisenhower Blvd., which was closed after Loveland voters banned marijuana sales in 2010.

Much of Thursday’s hearing focused on how the business will operate.

Bishop testified that employees complete a two-week training program before working under supervision for several more weeks, with extensive instruction on identifying fraudulent identification and complying with state marijuana regulations. Employees who violate age-verification requirements are terminated immediately, he said.

The store will also employ silent alarms, extensive video surveillance, secure storage areas and odor-control measures modeled after the Fort Collins location.

Following the hearing, Bishop said he is relieved to have the licensing process over and looking forward to the next chapter.

“I’ve got 14 new employees to train, so that’s the challenge now,” he said.

The ruling also had immediate implications for the remaining applicants seeking to enter Loveland’s recreational marijuana market.

Solace Meds Loveland LLC, which had been scheduled to appear before the licensing authority later Thursday seeking conditional approval for a dispensary at 154 E. 15th St., withdrew its application after the city clerk’s office determined the proposed location was too close to the newly licensed Natural Alternatives store.

Loveland’s marijuana regulations require at least one mile of separation between dispensary locations.

Loveland City Clerk Ashley Macdonald said other applicants whose proposed locations fall within that one-mile radius will be contacted and given options for how to proceed.

Beyond Thursday’s hearing, eight additional retail marijuana license applications remain pending with the city, proposing dispensaries throughout Loveland, including in downtown.

However, none has reached the licensing authority because the applicants are still working through the city’s planning process, Macdonald said.

For more information about Loveland’s marijuana licensing process and pending dispensary applications, visit lovgov.org/CityClerk.