THE EVOLVING LOUNGE

The moment is seared into my memory. It was the mid-’90s and I was a bright-eyed 25-year-old in Amsterdam for the first time. I stepped into a “coffeeshop” and was immediately transported to a magical realm – one where I could order Cannabis from a menu and be treated like a customer instead of a criminal. Compared to what we went through back home to “score weed,” it all felt so … civilized.

I SAT DOWN and rolled myself a joint while watching people ride by on their bicycles outside, and I knew that things would never be the same. I couldn’t go back to the way things were in the United States without doing everything I could to change it. I vowed that one day we would see consumption lounges all over the world, so that everyone could know the true feeling of freedom.

The first social consumption of Cannabis dates back to ancient times. Shamans of various tribes in Central Asia, India and the Middle East burned the flowers in rituals meant to induce a trancelike state. Hashish lounges have been a staple of Nepal and Afghanistan, as well as throughout the Middle East for centuries.

The HotBox Lounge & Shop in Toronto

The New Amsterdam Cafe in Vancouver, BC

The Summit Lounge in Worchester, Mass.

sharing a pipe, bong or joint with others has been a natural way to mix and mingle for as long as people have been getting together in groups. There were even “tea pads” for legal smokers established in the United States during alcohol prohibition.

Soon however, worldwide crackdowns on Cannabis put a serious damper on social use. Fear of arrest and prosecution drove users and providers underground, and for many years, anyone wishing to share their stash with others measured the risks and proceeded with extreme caution. It wasn’t until the early 1970s, when Dutch hippies tested their country’s newfound “tolerance” to soft drugs, did a scene emerge in which Cannabis was openly sold and smoked in designated areas.

The coffeeshop culture thrived in Holland and over time, Amsterdam became a destination for anyone seeking to sample a new way of Cannabis and hashish consumption. In the ‘90s, the scene spread to Spain under the guise of nonprofit private social clubs deigned for members only. Inevitably, as laws in the U.S. and Canada were reformed, lounges sprang up in North America, including the New Amsterdam Cafe in Vancouver and the HotBox Lounge & Shop in Toronto. In late 2019, three members of the The Leaf team had the opportunity to visit Amsterdam and enjoy in the historic Cannabis coffeshop culture. Check out the rehashed trip down memory lane in the Dec. 2019 issue: tinyurl.com/leafgoestoamsterdam IN 2009, The World Famous Cannabis Cafe, run by Executive Director of Oregon NORML Madeline Martinez, opened up in Portland, Ore. as the first state-authorized lounge for medical cardholders. Sadly, they closed their doors in 2016, but places like Flight Lounge and Kaleafa Social Club continue the tradition, welcoming private members to consume flowers and dabs to their hearts’ delight.

Longtime California activist Richard Lee launched Coffeeshop Blue Sky in Oakland, even enduring a raid by Federal law enforcement in 2012, but which opened the door for places like Moe Greens, Bloom Room and Barbary Coast Dispensary. The passage of Colorado’s Amendment 64, also in 2012, brought about clubs such as iBAKE Denver and The Speakeasy Vape Lounge, which allow members to consume Cannabis but do not permit sales. Since then, many other spots nationwide have opened their doors to patients and customers yearning for connection.

In Michigan, places like Vehicle City Social in Flint and D’Mirage in Detroit create safe spaces for Cannabis consumers to relax and enjoy their buds with friends. New England staples like Tetra Hydro Club in Wakefield, R.I. and Summit Lounge in Worcester, Mass. provide a respite from the bars and nightclubs. I even visited a unique spot in Las Vegas called NuWu on Native land, which is a dispensary with a smoking lounge attached. In states where Cannabis remains illegal, lounges tend to be movable “seshes” that shift from location to location and provide makeshift booths with Cannabis products, entertainment and consumption on site.

Worldwide, along with the Netherlands and Spain, there are now social clubs in New Zealand, South Africa, France, Germany and elsewhere. They are all under attack in one form or another from authorities, and the precariousness of their existence is fragile. Though how we share Cannabis has certainly changed due to COVID-19, our desire to socialize amongst like-minded compatriots will only increase over time. As responsible Cannabis consumers, it’s our obligation to continue to change the laws and push to legalize social use and consumption lounges so that we can get together and enjoy our pot in peace.