Cannabis consumption lounges have been around for decades. But there was a time when the future of lounges wasn’t so certain in the post-prohibition era, particularly in a pandemic: anti-smoking laws and lack of legislation permitting them have made it tough for some to continue operating in the legal era.
But from Calgary to California, the community is rallying to not just bring back the beloved lounge, but to build on the concept, too.
Also see: Is this Canada’s first legit lounge?
C is for… cannabis lounge
California retailer and cannabis brand Cookies has opened its first lounge in Coalinga, a town in Fresno County, California, according to a press release, and it sounds luxurious:
“The alcohol-free lounge features a custom-made bar, luxury seating for 30 people and a top-of-the-line air filtration system,” reads the release. “City ordinance allows any products sold in the Cookies Coalinga dispensary, including flower, concentrates and edibles, to be consumed in the lounge. Customers can also purchase cannabis-infused beverages and have them poured over ice.”
BLT lounges set to be the Toast of NYC
In New York, BLT Restaurant Group CEO Jimmy Haber is partnering with Colorado cannabis company Toast to open lounges in New York.
“We are all novices in New York, and Toast is supplying the expertise so we can offer a first class experience,” he told the New York Post.
Starting from square one in Calgary
And Alberta’s Calgary Cannabis Club, a non-profit dedicated to cannabis education, has launched a petition in the hopes of overturning a bylaw that bans public cannabis consumption — that’s right, any and all public consumption — reports the London Free Press.
“We really feel it’s unfair for the electoral voters of the City of Calgary to have zero places to consume cannabis,” said organizer Neil Linton. “It’s unfair for us as cannabis consumers; medical or recreational.”
