An inside look at the opening of the nation’s first cannabis cafe

Pot enthusiasts formed a line around the corner of North La Brea Avenue this morning, eagerly awaiting the opening of Lowell Farms, the first cannabis-consumption restaurant to receive licensing in the United States.

While the cafe is prohibited from serving cannabis-infused food, customers can enjoy a wide array of cannabis-infused beverages, teas, joints, and even edibles while dining.

“Isn’t it fucking brilliant?! Getting your tacos and your pot in the same spot?” said a cheerful patron who asked to not be named.

After a server seats and greets guests, they then meet their “flower host”, a weed connoisseur who suggests weed and food pairings and recommends marijuana strains based on their personal preferences. For an extra charge, the host will even roll a joint for customers.

Munchies at Lowell Farms include artisan burgers and gourmet tacos, among other seasonal selections.

“It [Lowell Cafe] is not anything different than a bar, and my job [as a flower host] is like a wine connoisseur or bartender, just with weed,” said Lowell Farms “flower host” Shay Navarro during an interview with Annenberg Media.

Lowell Farms staff members expressed hopefulness about what the cafe may mean for the future of the restaurant and cannabis industries and, more largely, how the restaurant hopes to diminish the stigma around marijuana.

“It [Lowell Cafe] is just going to normalize cannabis consumption and once we are able to see that it’s really no different than having a glass or a bottle of wine and enjoying a nice meal, I think we will see more of these," said Lowell Cafe executive chef and part-owner Andrea Drummer.

Beyond normalizing marijuana, the restaurant hopes to improve customers’ experiences with weed. Drummer notes that “specifically the [food and wine] pairings are important because we want to enhance the cannabis experience by way of the menu."

It’s hard to gauge the long-term success of Lowell Farms, but with an Instagram following of more than 40,000 followers already, the future is promising.

While the cafe accepts walk-ins, reservations are booked out for the next two weeks.