Pubdate: Mon, 30 Sep 2019
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2019 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Jenn Harris

WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO AT THE NEW CANNABIS CAFE IN WEST HOLLYWOOD

The Lowell Cafe is a new restaurant and bar in West Hollywood that
will allow diners to smoke marijuana inside and out thanks to a new 
license issued by the city. It's slated to open Oct. 1 and when it does, 
it will be the first of its kind.

If you're imagining a giant smoky room filled with bowls of weed,
couches and lots of pizza, think again. Imagine instead a functional 
restaurant with servers, plus a special air-filtration system that sucks 
up and filters the smoke from people smoking weed, everywhere.

"We have families reaching out wanting to bring their kids or
grandparents and high school groups of friends flying from all over the 
world," restaurant director Kevin Brady said. "I feel like we're Disney 
World."

When you arrive, you will be seated at a table and greeted by a flower 
host (also known as a "budtender") who will serve as your cannabis 
guide. He or she will drill you on your past cannabis experiences 
(whether you're Snoop Dogg-level or haven't smoked since high school or 
at all) and help personalize your cannabis order. You also will have a 
server from whom you can order food and nonalcoholic beverages.

Brady compared the flower menu with a wine list and noted that the
products will be seasonal. Most of them will be supplied by the Lowell 
Farms organic cannabis farm in Santa Barbara County, the company behind 
the restaurant.

Chef Andrea Drummer's food menu is inspired by the different flavor 
profiles in the strains of cannabis, and each dish will have a suggested 
product to smoke or vape with. The opening menu will include miso-glazed 
pork belly, jalapeno mac and cheese bites, vegan nachos, sticky tamarind 
wings, house-made pickles and avocado and white bean hummus.

Here's a breakdown of what you can and can't do at the cannabis
cafe.

YOU CAN:

Come in if you're 21 or older and have a valid ID.

Smoke joints and vape both inside the dining room and on the side
patio.

Consume edibles.

Smoke or consume edibles you bring from home for a small "tokage" fee, 
similar to a corkage fee.

Use your own bongs or pipes to smoke or rent one from the
restaurant.

Drink beer or wine on the front patio once the restaurant secures its 
license postopening.

Make a reservation up to 30 days in advance. The cafe will accept
walk-ins as well but reservations are recommended.

Request a bud and food pairing.

YOU CAN'T:

Take unfinished products home to consume later. (You can take your
food leftovers though.)

Smoke on the front patio. The license does not allow for smoking on any 
front-facing outdoor area.

Drink beer or wine inside or on the side patio (drinking is permitted 
only on the front patio).

Smoke to the point that you're incapacitated. There is no hard and
fast ounce limit but there will be security at the door and your
flower host will check on you periodically to make sure everyone is 
feeling safe and having a good time.

Order pizza. (Drummer is planning to put some form of flatbread on the 
menu at some point, though.)

Lowell Cafe will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. to start and 
plans to extend its hours to 2 a.m. by Halloween. Brady is hoping to 
introduce a breakfast menu and extend the cafe's hours even further by 
opening at 8 a.m. in mid-November.
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MAP posted-by: Matt