Field Notes

Field Notes #10: A Room of Their Own

Cannabis-friendly social spaces need more than a place to consume. St. Louis offers a look at the work of hosting.

An open door, a spare chair and a reason to stay.

A cannabis social space still needs something to do once everyone has found a seat.

In St. Louis, The Cola advertises listening parties, comedy, karaoke, paint nights and private gatherings. Its current website describes a private members-only space open by appointment, for events and for private bookings.[8]

That last detail matters. This is not a verified guide to a lounge with dependable walk-in hours. The operator's current booking notice is more useful than the general image of a cannabis cafe where anyone can wander in.

Give people a reason to return

The Cola's advertised activities make a modest but interesting proposition: cannabis can be part of a shared evening whose main activity is music, a game or making something.[8] A good host still has to arrange an evening that works.

A comedy series provides another example. In February, Sauce Magazine reported that St. Louis Cannabis Club's Best Medicine event was expanding to the Church on Delmar, pairing stand-up with food and cannabis tastings.[4] That is dated local reporting, not confirmation that the same venue or program remains in place this week.

The distinction keeps a culture story from becoming an unreliable events listing. A February expansion and a current appointment-only website are evidence of different operating arrangements. Neither establishes a nationwide lounge boom or tells us whether the businesses are profitable.

Hospitality is the test

Our test for these spaces starts with the guest who is least familiar with cannabis. Can they understand the admission rules before arriving? Can they choose not to consume? Does the host make product information and the plan for someone feeling unwell easy to find?

Those are standards to ask of operators, not services we have independently verified at these venues. A venue's description of itself as cannabis-friendly also does not establish its licensing position or make every form of consumption permissible.

The Cola's current focus on bookings and scheduled events is a useful reminder that access arrangements can change.[8] Check directly before making a trip, and ask about the specific event rather than relying on an old listing.

The appealing possibility is fairly ordinary: a place to spend time with other people without cannabis being either the entire conversation or an awkward secret. Whether a room delivers that depends on how it treats its guests after they arrive.

— The Alkaloid