Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to travel may have visited Amsterdam and found themselves longing for the experience of cannabis cafes back home in America. Until recently, the idea of being able to smoke, vape, and ingest cannabis legally in a place other than the privacy of your own home has sounded like a dream come true. A recent announcement by the city of West Hollywood (WeHo) is now turning that vision into a reality.
Starting in 2019, this area of Los Angeles will feature multiple places where cannabis lovers can meet, mingle, and get high in a variety of ways. Positioning itself to become a world-class destination that will rival the best lounges in the Netherlands, WeHo implemented a rigorous process to determine what these new businesses would look like.
Coming Soon
According to Eater, officials in WeHo began the screening process back in April of 2018 and received over 300 applicants across five different business license categories which will bring numerous new businesses into the area:
- Eight edibles-only consumption area cafes
- Eight consumption lounges where cannabis smoking, vaping, and edibles can be consumed on-site
- Eight medical dispensary services
- Eight new adult-use retail businesses
- Eight cannabis delivery services
A total of 40 new locations have been approved, including edible-only cafes, medical dispensaries, delivery services, lounges, and retail businesses. The application process alone cost thousands of dollars and once approved, organizations are still left to the task of securing a physical location and obtaining a WeHo business license.
Across the United States, only nine other consumption lounges even exist, with seven located in San Francisco, one in Denver, and one in Oakland. Experts believe that WeHo’s plan will increase cannabis tourism within The Golden State in a huge way.
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
While most of the upcoming establishments are keeping their details under wraps, at least three of the future businesses have given a sneak peek of what’s in store.
Aēon
Co-founded by a nutritionist, Aēon secured three of the 40 licenses and plans on opening a medical shop, adult-use space, and a consumption lounge. Rumors of holistic treatments including acupuncture may also be a welcome addition to their new spaces.
Budberry
If you’ve heard of Jeff the 420 Chef, you’ll be pleased to know that he’ll be finding a new home at Budberry, a store, cafe, and lounge that’s slated for a WeHo debut. Earlier in the day patrons will be able to purchase cannabis-infused baked goods and can enjoy more adult beverages as things move into the evening hours.
The Antidote
Fine dining in LA is about to take on a whole new meaning thanks to the creative minds at The Antidote, a restaurant that’s focusing on integrating cannabis into every element of your experience. Both couches and booths, as well as more traditional seating, will give you room to enjoy a meal that gets you high or you can sign up for one of their private cooking classes. The idea at The Antidote is to integrate cannabis use into mainstream culture, eventually making a cannabis dinner just as normal as any other upscale plate of food.
Whether you live in West Hollywood or will end up making the journey to Southern California just to see what all the fuss is about, there’s no denying that this part of the world is about to become even more popular than before. WeHo has taken a huge step toward normalizing cannabis use and the future of lounges, clubs, and more has never been brighter than it’s about to be in 2019.