Lounge

Exhale. The long-awaited arrival of marijuana consumption lounges in Las Vegas is finally here. Thrive Cannabis Marketplace recently opened the first state-licensed lounge adjacent to its store just off the Las Vegas Strip, and nearly 20 other consumption businesses are putting the finishing touches on their venues, according to state regulators. After passing the final site inspection by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) on Feb. 15, Smoke and Mirrors Cannabis Lounge opened a week later, highlighting the urgency and behind-the-scenes preparations… Read more.

Nevada officials are continuing to approve more consumption lounge applications, with six more conditional licenses approved by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) for various cannabis companies. On Oct. 24, the CCB discussed approval for a variety of consumption lounge applications. The chosen businesses in this round include Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.; Green Thumb Industries, Inc.; Desert Evolution, LLC; Higher* Archy, LLC; NevadaPure, LLC; and TGIG, LLC. Curaleaf Holdings, one of the biggest cannabis companies in the world, received one of the licenses for… Read more.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D) of California recently took a series of actions that yielded varied outcomes for the cannabis industry and advocates of marijuana reform. Notably, he vetoed a proposal to legalize cannabis cafes, which left supporters disheartened as they believed it could have provided new social opportunities for consumers and spurred business growth. Simultaneously, he vetoed marijuana packaging regulations, which industry operators argued would have imposed overly burdensome restrictions. On the positive side, Governor Newsom signed several other bills… Read more.

Executives often undertake business diversification as a hedge against their core business or the economy going sour. But in 2014, when Curio Wellness co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Wendy Bronfein and her partners conceived the idea for a Timonium, Maryland-based medical cannabis dispensary combined with a wellness store and a spa, the challenges facing MMJ entrepreneurs weren’t just economic but cultural. Diversification built in Bronfein and her partners built diversification into the business model not only to provide backup revenue… Read more.

A California bill to legalize marijuana cafes—allowing dispensaries to offer non-cannabis food and drinks at their location if they receive local approval—is officially heading to the governor’s desk. Days after the Senate passed a slightly amended version of the legislation from Assemblymember Matt Haney (D), the Assembly concurred with the opposite chamber’s changes on Monday in a 48-7 vote. It now goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). AB 374 would allow local governments to authorize cannabis consumption lounges to prepare and… Read more.

St. Louis, Missouri officials are considering allowing the operation of cannabis lounges, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Under the plan, patrons could smoke cannabis and eat cannabis products on-site.  Aldermanic President Megan Green told the St. Louis Business Journal that the lounges have “the potential to provide an economic boom for the city.”  A private cannabis lounge opened in the city in 2019, prior to voters approving broad cannabis legalization reforms in 2022, and at least three others like it have opened within city limits, according… Read more.

Nevada regulators have approved three more applications for marijuana consumption lounge licenses, including two concepts in the Las Vegas market. The Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) on Tuesday unanimously approved applications from Deep Roots Harvest and Global Harmony, which operate Las Vegas cannabis stores, as well as KV Group in the southern Nevada town Pahrump. Nevada regulators have now approved seven consumption spaces, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In June, the CCB granted the first three conditional licenses for such venues to: Cheyenne Medical… Read more.

As the cannabis industry matures, regulatory restrictions are becoming less stringent, paving the way for dispensaries to operate more like traditional retailers and cannabis to become a normal part of everyday activities. This situation opens the door for dispensaries to co-brand with complementary business offerings like consumption lounges, hotels, and other adjacent entities. To adapt to changing market conditions, modern cannabis retailers are looking to other verticals for inspiration. One such vertical is hospitality, which has spent decades creating identifiable brands, curating positive customer experiences,… Read more.

The first three conditional licenses for cannabis consumption licenses in Nevada have officially been issued. On Tuesday, the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board stated that in Clark County, Planet 13 and the Thrive Cannabis Marketplace were selected while Washoe County's The Venue at Sol Cannabis also received a license. The board added these are conditional licenses. In November, the board issued 40 cannabis consumption lounge prospective licenses after the random number selection events. According to the board, those license holders must submit all required documents… Read more.

When Nevada legalized in January 2017, it created a problem. The state made it legal to possess cannabis, but it did not change the rules regarding where you could smoke it. Currently, the law only allows people to smoke marijuana in a private residence. Hotel rooms don't count as private residences and, since most Las Vegas/Las Vegas Strip hotel rooms have associated casinos, federal law would prohibit allowing consumption. Basically, that created a situation where people could buy smokable marijuana… Read more.

Marijuana operators and consumers anticipating consumption lounges opening this summer in Las Vegas will probably have to wait. Administrative setbacks, tight funding and changing regulations governing smoke ventilation have likely delayed the launch of dozens of lounges for months, with the real possibility that only a few might open by year-end, industry experts told MJBizDaily. The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB), the state’s chief marijuana regulator, could address the regulatory issues at a June 20 meeting. Industry executives have raised concerns… Read more.

The California Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill to allow cannabis cafés in the state, KTVU Fox 2 reports. The measure passed the chamber 64-9.   The legislation would permit the sale of non-cannabis products for consumption at the cafés, which is prohibited under current state law although limited on-site cannabis consumption is allowed.  Assemblymember Matt Haney (D) tole KTVU that “There’s absolutely no good reason from an economic, health, or safety standpoint that the state should make that illegal.”  “Lots of people want to enjoy… Read more.

If bars didn't exist, but liquor stores were plentiful, and open-container laws were widely enforced because consuming alcohol was only legal in private residences, you can see the conundrum that causes. A tourist in a city could buy liquor, but the only place they could consume it would be a private home -- something they don't have access to -- so, instead, they would drink clandestinely in alleys, parking lots, and their hotel rooms. Alcohol, of course, is easier to… Read more.

Soon, Bay City will open something that is new for Mid-Michigan -- lounges that are like a bar...for cannabis users. Bay City is one of just a handful of cities trying this in our state. Earlier this month, the city commission revised its recreational marijuana ordinance, allowing a total of five designated consumption licenses to qualified applicants. It has been met with both support and opposition. "It's highly regulated, just like the sales," City Commissioner Chris Girard said. No alcohol… Read more.

AS CANNABIS BECOMES normalized and less stigmatized, we’re seeing more Americans turning to cannabis and away from alcohol. The U.S. has been alcohol-centric for too long and many people are searching for alternatives that facilitate socializing without alcohol. With about four in ten adults living unpartnered, there is reason to believe more people are searching for spaces to gather with friends. Individuals who socialize frequently during the week might prefer to limit their alcohol intake to avoid excessive consumption or the unpleasant effects… Read more.