Regulated cannabis has opened many doors for people to access safe flower, but that has also come with accompanying regulations on where you can and cannot consume. That’s where cannabis consumption lounges come in. These consumption lounges are at the forefront of the next wave of cannabis regulation and societal acceptance. For states that currently offer adult-use, the next logical step in their industry’s advancement is a monetized safe space to consume. The need for cannabis lounges comes due to harsh laws around where to consume. Due to cannabis being federally illegal and only recently being socially accepted, most hotels, outdoor and public spaces, and even rented homes do not allow cannabis use. Only a handful of states are beginning to explore safe consumption in lounges and are bound to shape what the future of lounges will look like.
California and Colorado have long been pioneers in the regulated cannabis space. California has taken this energy and applied it to consumption lounges, while Colorado has unfortunately been left behind bureaucratic red tape.
California is home to perhaps the most progressive cannabis lounge to date- The Four Twenty Bank located in downtown Palm Springs. This location was founded in 2019 and flipped an existing bank (hence the name) and features several seating areas surrounding its’ center retail space. The true magic of this consumption lounge though is its massive events calendar and center stage. The location boasts live music, comedy, drag, and more all under one house showcasing some of Coachella Valley’s best talents. It’s a seamless customer experience to go up to the counter, pick up your favorite cannabis product, and light up at one of the many comfy couches and catch a show. The Four Twenty Bank is certainly one of the best consumption lounges in the country, but across California many retailers offer seating areas to consume on site as well. San Francisco’s Bloom Room offers free use of in-house volcanoes but rarely are consumption lounges on the level as The Four Twenty Bank.
Colorado, on the other hand, has struggled to open consumption lounges despite having adult-use cannabis sales since 2012. In 2018, The Coffee Joint opened its doors next to their sister store, the 1136 Yuma Dispensary. This location isn’t easy to get to on foot, unlike the aforementioned Four Twenty Bank which is in the heart of Palm Spring’s main drag. The Coffee Joint has a humble storefront and small parking lot, but inside offers a cozy place to dab or enjoy an edible. The catch here is that due to Colorado’s restrictions, they cannot have open flame within the facility. That means no smoking flower- no joints, no blunts, no milky bong rips. The Coffee Joint does offer e-nails and prices next door are usually reasonable, but a dab can be an advanced move especially for cannabis tourists. Colorado has had some failed attempts at cannabis consumption areas and has largely fallen to private consumption areas (like Downtown Denver’s Tetra Lounge), but the Coffee Joint remains at the top of the Colorado consumption roster.
Between the two states is Nevada, which has approved the establishment of regulated cannabis consumption lounges in recent years. While a majority of licenses that were issued are still waiting to open their doors, one consumption lounge is currently operating. This case in point has actually been operating prior to consumption lounges being legally approved due to being on sovereign land. The NuWu Tasting Room was previously on site within the dispensary, similarly to California’s common consumption lounges. They offered dabs via e-nail through dabtenders and places to light up joints or rip bongs. The lounge has since evolved into the NuWu Courtyard and Dab Bar, an outdoor area on a gorgeous grassy knoll with a huge stage for comedy, music, and more. They debuted the new space on this most recent 420 and are setting a very high bar for the other consumption lounges eager to open in Las Vegas and beyond.
With the West Coast leading the charge in consumption lounge experiences, the rest of the country watches on for structure.
For more cannabis news and updates, be sure to follow the MJ Platform blog regularly.
