Denver's marijuana-focused rideshare service seeks regulatory changes to expand
Denver's Hash Cab is the world's first rideshare service providing a safe way for people to consume marijuana while getting from point A to point B. Its owner, Samuel Teferi, who also happens to be the cab's driver, is finally accepting rides after eight years of working on the concept, but he's still navigating regulatory challenges.
Teferi used to work in the cannabis industry and drove rideshare on the side to make extra cash.
"And then they were going around the corner to destinations to consume before they went into events," Teferi said of his customers after he dropped them off. "I'd overhear them saying, 'Well, you know what? I want to drive my own car here, but I want to consume, so I'm just going to drive and consume at the same time."
Those experiences sparked the idea for Hash Cab. Years later, Denver's marijuana social equity program, which reserves business licenses for underserved communities, helped him get going. But the journey has been anything but simple.
"When I sat down with regulators and talked to them about it, their first thought was, 'We've never seen something like this,'" Teferi said.
His first-of-its-kind business operates under regulations that he says hinder him. Since Teferi must have a mobile hospitality license, it's difficult for him to expand.
"All of the licensing and documentation and fees that go into having a mobile hospitality business, we would essentially have to replicate that if we get another vehicle," Teferi explained. "So having 10 vehicles means having 10 separate licenses, 10 separate licensing fees, which it's pretty significant with one car. But to do that across a larger fleet would be very financially taxing."
And the biggest hurdle: riders must book a ride on the company's website, and Hash Cab must submit a log to the city at least seven days in advance.
"At this point, we've turned down so many rides, and it really hurts us because people would have literally said to us, 'I would have booked Hash Cab three, four times by now if it wasn't for this rule,'" said Teferi.
He's now working with city and state leaders to try to change some of the regulations.
"Hopefully we can meet them in the middle," he said.
For those wondering how it all works - it's BYOW. Hash Cab does not provide marijuana. For everyone's safety, the car is equipped with a patent-pending HVAC system to pull the smoke out of the vehicle.
"It'll take all of the smoke, it'll cleanse it, and give them fresh air back," Teferi said about the system he worked with the Department of Public Health and Environment to design.
A clear divider also ensures the driver doesn't inhale any secondhand smoke. Teferi says it's a well-thought-out concept that lets passengers sit back, relax, and inhale safely.
