Can Consumption Lounges Help Evolve the Cannabis Community?
A lot of U.S. states have already disregarded the federal ban on marijuana and have introduced laws and regulations that allow using various marijuana products for recreational purposes. Still, most legal states do not allow consumption in public places. If you are renting and your landlord does not allow smoking on the premises, that can be a hurdle, too. Where can I smoke is a source of uncertainty for so many people. One practical solution to this problem is creating venues where people can come together and enjoy the benefits of cannabis at ease and without having to worry if they are breaking the law. Building social clubs and consumption lounges for the growing cannabis community is the next logical step in regulating recreational use.
Places like social clubs and consumption lounges where cannabis users can freely come and enjoy cannabis products at ease are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and here in the U.S. Smoke lounges are a glimpse into the future of recreational use. Even when cannabis becomes federally legal a few years from now, there are good chances that a majority of states will retain regulations that do not permit smoking or indulging in other uses of cannabis in public places. This will have to take place somewhere where it's acceptable and carefree to do it. Social clubs and consumption lounges could answer the many legal dilemmas recreational cannabis users might have now and in the future.
There are a couple more situations where smoking can be a complicated proposition from a legal perspective. For example, one of them is smoking in rented housing. You are going against the law if you smoke cannabis inside the home that you are renting when the terms of your renting agreement specify that you cannot smoke. A lot of people who enjoy a smoke find themselves in these and similar constellations. In big cities like San Francisco or Seattle, more than half of the residents are not homeowners, thus they're renting a place to live. This makes renters one of the affected groups regarding where you can legally smoke pot.
But if you are worried that you cannot smoke where you live or where you stay as a tourist, knowing there's a place to chill out downtown solves the problem. While the rules differ from venue to venue, most smoke lounges allow you to roll your own joints and blunts. You can also access additional equipment like vaporizers, dab rigs, and bongs. Some places may also serve drinks or offer entertainment or educational activities. Sometimes the lounges are attached to dispensaries and are more oriented to offer a space where you can try out the brands they represent. Other times the site is more like a social club, there could be a fee for entrance, and the pricing may vary depending on how long you plan to use the space and be a member.
It's awesome that there exist all these various types of places where you can consume cannabis or taste new strains and products. Even more so, new concepts on how lounges can function continue to emerge. The great problem in this story is obtaining permission to open a lounge space. That's where things always get more challenging. The available infrastructure is limited, and it does need to grow into something more established and something more accessible to all recreational users.
The Benefits of Smoking Lounges
Below are three more reasons why creating consumption spaces for the cannabis community is good and why lawmakers should be more encouraged to come forward with legal solutions on how to open them.
Social experience
Besides offering safe and comfortable spaces to enjoy marijuana, users can use these venues to socialize with other people and engage in various entertaining activities. Whether it's watching a show together, doing yoga, enjoying snacks and drinks together, or trying out cannabis wax for the first time, consumption lounges are places for creating new memories and new friendships. Places where you go out for a smoke, just like when you say, I am going out for a drink, and then head to the local bar.
Cultural milestone
Having at our disposal safe and widely-accepted community spaces where weed can be smoked openly without stigma is an important cultural achievement we should aim for. This is the greater mission of consumption spaces. They are places where the recreational, therapeutical, social and creative benefits of the plant can be truly explored and demonstrated. To show the world that smoking weed is fun and meaningful, not harmful. That nobody will end up in a fight after smoking too much. That there's good humor and good times when you pass around. Once there's a cultural shift, it will also influence the legal views on cannabis.
Economic value
There are already many great examples where simply allowing the retail of cannabis has drastically transformed local economies, helping them to flourish. Lounges are the next step. Lounges can be pretty good for tourism. While only some places want to be the next Amsterdam, there are ways to regulate reputable business with enterprises, clubs, coffee shops, and other community places where you can freely smoke pot. And for a lot of travelers, this may be exactly the perk they need to hear when they decide which place to visit next.
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Stephen Andrews
