Imagine spending a lazy Saturday afternoon in a posh lounge, surrounded by friends and strangers, sparking another joint to pass across the table.
But the conversation around shared air and shared joints has been turned on its head in early 2022 as the pandemic heads into year three.
And even though Illinois had only recently legalized recreational marijuana sales, state regulators had quickly approved the first consumption lounge license in the capital city of Springfield.
Actually, with the rise of the omicron variant , venturing to any place that may have a crowd is something I can’t help but think twice about, even though I’m fully vaccinated, boosted and crave social in-person connection.
For many businesses that rely on foot traffic and in-person sales, particularly those in the restaurant and hospitality industries, the pandemic has been a huge burden.
And yet, while the pandemic has complicated or delayed plans to open new cannabis lounges, it has thankfully not completely stifled them: Those in California and Colorado have been implementing BYOC policies, and now, social-distancing guidelines and capacity limits.
The beverage industry may not serve as a perfect comparison point for cannabis, but the idea that we can count cannabis lounges as a viable nightlife option is, dare I say, intoxicating.
I’m probably not the only one who’s a bit more of a germaphobe and doesn’t want to line up for a communal dab rig anymore, even if it’s getting a cursory swipe with an alcohol wipe.
In fact, one study from Harvard in 2020 found that with proper safety measures, flying can be lower-risk than other activities due to airplanes being equipped with high-grade air filtration systems. These are among the many measures we need to take into consideration when designing these spaces.
GTI products skyrocketed during the pandemic; in fact, revenue increased 87.3% to $416.3 million in the first half of 2021.
But what’s most heartening is witnessing the continued resiliency of cannabis culture.