A marijuana lounge has opened in Las Vegas, giving residents the chance to consume legally purchased cannabis without breaking the law.
The Vegas Tasting Room, opened by the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe of Native Americans, is the very first of its kind to have a smoking room in the city.
Customers are now able to try various pot products during their visit, despite recent state legislation that has postponed the licensing of such venues for two years.
Member of the governing council of the 65-strong tribe Benny Tso told the Los Angeles Times they’re able to get around the ruling because the lounge is on the tribe’s “sovereign land.”
Tso added: “We just wanted to offer a safe, friendly environment, an open space to taste products before you buy them.”
While the purchase of recreational products is legal in the state of Nevada for those over the age of 21, it can be very difficult to find anywhere other than private residences where it is legal to use.
Cannabis users are not allowed to smoke in public, and hotel rooms tend to ban the use of all recreational smoking products and cigarettes.
Deborah Good Bear and Eric Schell, both from Bismarck, N.D., told the LA Times of their trip to indulge. Within minutes of entering the lounge, the couple was trying dabs, a concentrated cannabis resin that is heated before being inhaled that cost $8 to $9 for one-five-hundredth of a gram.
While customers are invited to enjoy themselves, the tribe discourages overuse and claims it has cut people off occasionally. It added that employees are ready and willing to call cabs for customers who should not be driving home.
Hostess Ali Flores said: “We like to have security nearby, to make sure no one is overconsuming. We just give them little bits at a time to consume and then check on them periodically.”
The menu currently includes dabs, THC-infused gummies and chocolate, infused beverages including tea, juice, and beer, and pre-rolled joints.
A package deal will set a customer back by around $75, allowing them to try various products before heading to the store to purchase their favorites to take home.
Flores added: “That’s kind of what we wanted to aim for: Come in here, taste it and then go out there and buy bigger quantities.”
Tso said the tribe aims to create an “open-air, non-seedy, welcome atmosphere.”
The Vegas Tasting Room opens noon until 8 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and noon until midnight Thursday to Saturday.
Planet13 Las Vegas is the lounge’s nearest competitor, sitting just a few blocks west of the Strip. While both businesses welcome around 3,000 customers each day, Planet13 now hopes to expand its offerings to include a coffee house, restaurant, and even glass walls enabling visitors to watch infused candies and drinks being made.
The venue does not yet operate a smoking lounge as the legislature will not allow for it until 2021.
