America’s first cannabis cafe opens in West Hollywood
AMERICA’S first cannabis restaurant has opened in West Hollywood, offering diners an array of weed products and hoping to rival Amsterdam’s famed coffee shops.
Ca l le d L owel l Fa r ms : A Ca n nabis Ca fe, t he muchhy ped 240 -s e at e st a bl i shment is open to people 21 and over, who ca n order f rom a cannabis menu just like they would a wine bottle.
“Flower Host s”, or “budtenders”, help patrons nav igate the menu, giv ing adv ice to connoisseurs or novices on what st ra i n of ca nnabis to order with their meal and the potency and f lavour of each product.
On offer are pre-rolled joints starting at $18 apiece, highly potent concentrates, some edibles, and accessories such as bongs, pipes and dabbing devices.
“It’s amazing to be a part of ma k i n g h i s t or y, I ne v e r thought I would have been,” sa id execut ive chef A ndrea Dr u mmer as she su r veyed diners at t he soft opening of the eater y on Monday.
“It’s important to have a safe space to consume in a very communal setting,” she added. “The only other place that I know that to be the case is Amsterdam.”
She said customers were flying in from different parts of the country, and one couple was even traveling from Britain, to take part in the grand opening on Tuesday.
Largest marijuana market
The cafe’s launch comes as more and more states across America have legalised marijuana in recent years, both for medicinal and recreational purposes. The drug, however, remains illegal at the federal level.
In California, which has the world’s largest legal marijuana market, re c re a t i onal pot became legal in 2018, setting off a mad rush by entrepreneurs to cash in on the multibillion-dollar industry.
Seven other eateries similar to Lowell Farms are expected to open in the near future in West Hollywood, one of the first cities in the country to embrace the concept.
“This is a great idea and I do think that normalising cannabis is something that we should do,” said Derek Bollella, 22, a business student who drove 45 minutes on Monday to be part of the happy few who managed to secure a reservation at Lowell’s.
“If you go to A msterda m, they have one of these ever y 10 fe et ,” he added a s he smoked a joint while munching on nachos topped wit h avocado.
“They tried t hat over t here and it seems to work.”
Ant o nel a Bal a g ue r, 2 3 , another patron sitting nearby with a friend, said it was only fitting to finally have a cannabis cafe where customers could get high while enjoying some “nice stoner food”.
“I could probably come here every day,” she said. “I would consume cannabis every day if I could.”
Drummer said the restaurant’s 40 “Flower Hosts” have been trained to keep an eye on guests to make sure they are able to tolerate the cannabis they order and that nothing gets out of hand.
“Ou r bud host s a re ver y prof icient i n enquir i ng a nd ask ing g uest where t hey a re at in t heir consumption level,” she sa id.
“You go to a ba r a nd you know the cut-off point for the person who has ordered f ive whiskeys. So you have a conversat ion i f t hat is t he case.”
For Matt Kirschner, the new eatery is long overdue and marks a major milestone for the country.
“This is the greatest thing that the US has implemented into its culture in a while,” said the 22-year-old law student as he smoked a joint and nibbled on mac and cheese bites and a chicken sandwich with a friend at Lowell’s.
“We’re pretty stoned right now,” he added, grinning. “We’re enjoying the day, the music’s good, the weather’s good and we’re in California.
“Life can’t get better.”