What you need to know about visiting the OG Cannabis Cafe

At first glance, the scene unfolding on a leafy, half-crowded patio in West Hollywood looks like any other gastropub on a Sunday afternoon. In one corner, a table of nine people celebrates a milestone birthday around a vase filled with 21 delicate pink roses. In another, a table of five people holds three conversations at once while two propped smartphones stream soccer games.

The occupants of a table for two in the middle of the patio whisper sweet nothings to each other and smile widely. Nearby, a group of people in a turquoise blue pantsuit with flared legs contemplate eating a generous plate of waffles piled high with fried chicken and drizzled with syrup.

It is with the second glance, or more likely with the first deep inhalation, that everything becomes clear: when you realize that, not far from the vase of roses, the honoree is preparing to light a Stündenglass gravity pipe, the football fans are passing around a Baby Yoda-shaped dab rig and the woman in the pantsuit with flared legs has a fork in one hand and a lit joint in the other.

And everyone is busy consuming marijuana at OG Cannabis Cafe, the first place in the state where one could legally get high and eat when it opened on October 1, 2019, only to close 5 and a half months later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. pandemic. Rumors about its reopening had come and gone since then, including a much-publicized rebranding by the owners of High Times magazine. Still, the doors remained closed.

Now, after almost four years, OG Cannabis Cafe reopens its doors.

However, the local consumption lounge scene has changed dramatically in that time with the opening of three other places to publicly (and legally) smoke marijuana within 2½ miles of the cafe's North La Brea Avenue location: the Artist Tree Studio Dispensary Lounge, the Woods and PleasureMed, which includes the Irie Refrigerator Restaurant. (They're all in West Hollywood, the only city in Greater Los Angeles that has legally licensed consumption lounges in operation.)

After recent visits, it was evident that OG Cannabis Cafe has remained as it was when it opened (and closed) its doors.

“To be honest, we haven't changed anything; it's exactly the same except for the cannabis menu and some small changes to the menu,” said the original cafe's co-founder, Sean Black, of reopening in an environment where it is no longer . the only game in town. “I love the idea of ​​there being different types of experiences with cannabis. I haven't been to Irie yet for a high-end dining experience, but I'm eager to try it. And I love the forest. I had a great time there.”

When asked if he and his partners feel any pressure in the new environment, Black waved it off. “We believe we have created a cannabis tourism destination here… and we feel compelled to ensure that people who come from other areas of the world, who are cannabis enthusiasts, have their first public opportunity to consume cannabis and eat. in [what we believe is] the first place in the world where you can do that.”

Rosie Aguirre brought her own Grogu dab rig and cannabis concentrate to smoke.

Nayeli Hernández, right, smokes a pipe on her 21st birthday.

Jackie Palatnikov, left, photographs her friend Gal, as the two dine at the newly reopened OG Cannabis Cafe.

what hasn't changed

The space is still set up so that cannabis can be consumed legally inside the cafe (which seats 40) as well as on the patio (which seats 80), while beer and wine (but not marijuana) can be ordered ) in another patio. . A hearty menu of bar food (think Buffalo chicken wings, nachos, burgers, parmesan truffle fries, and the like) is available throughout.

Behind the pub food menu is a new chef, Jonah Johnson of Jonah's Kitchen in Santa Monica, who replaced Andrea Drummer, who was at the helm the first time.

Due to federal banking laws, any cannabis purchased on-site must be paid for in cash (an ATM is available), although credit cards are accepted for food and beverage purchases. In a small but notable departure from previous times, the same waiter takes orders for both groceries and fuel instead of having separate servers for food and flowers.

Frederick Marshall says he has stopped by the cafe “about five times a week” since it reopened.

What has changed

Speaking of marijuana (that's why you're here, right?), the herbal offerings are probably the biggest change for this incarnation of coffee.

The cannabis menu includes just three brands, two of which have yet to be released to dispensaries. Dizzies' pre-rolled infused joints and ground flower are offered, packed with flavor and colorful packaging ($25 to $60, the only brand available elsewhere); indoor-grown Wav pre-rolls and flowers ($45 to $100); and greenhouse-grown (and incredibly fragrant) Helena Farms, available in loose flower or pre-roll form (ranging from $20 for 3.5 grams of flowers to $120 for a 1-ounce package of 70 joints: a start of a party that will please the public). if there ever was one).

Among the offerings on the cannabis menu is a 1-ounce box of 70 pre-rolled joints from Los Angeles-based brand Helena Farms, launching soon.

All three brands are owned by Los Angeles-based Elevate Holdings, of which Black is a partner and serves as creative director. (He is also one of 11 partners involved in OG Cannabis Cafe 2.0.) “They loaned us the money to reopen the cafe,” Black said of Elevate Holdings, noting that exclusively featuring one company's herbal offerings leans into his restaurant's original purpose: meet-the-weed concept.

“I founded Lowell Herb Co. in 2011,” he said, “and we first opened this as Lowell Café.” Black said the original vision was to feature Lowell's products on the smokable side of the menu as a marketing play. That all changed when he and Lowell split just months after the doors opened in 2019.

“So [now,] It’s actually fulfilling its original purpose: promoting cannabis,” Black said, “as well as being a fun little outdoor cafe where you can get high instead of drunk. That's the whole premise. “It’s pretty simple.”

The cafe's indoor area also serves food and cannabis and can seat about 40 people.

A pub for marijuana lovers

Black is also not the only one making the comparison between the alternative to alcohol and the pub crowd for marijuana. A Sunday visit in mid-January found Montana Alexander, 25, ready to smoke with a table full of friends. She had made the trip from Santa Clarita after discovering the cafe on Instagram. “This place is literally a dream,” Alexander said between puffs, “because I don't drink, so when my friends go to bars I think, 'How boring.'”

Alexander's sentiment was shared by Nayeli Hernandez of Porter Ranch, the aforementioned birthday girl. “I don't really drink,” she told The Times. “Ever since I turned 20 I've been thinking about doing this,” she said. Hernández's mother, sitting next to her at the head of the table, intervened.

“She was willing to accept it,” Christina Hernández said of her daughter's request. “This is what they do now.”

Miguel Aguirre lights up a Wav Purple Zushi pre-rolled joint while watching a soccer game.

A neon sign with the OG Cannabis Cafe logo lights up a back wall.

Act Up India, left, and DJ Tricey Trice “shoot out” a hit on the lush green outdoor patio.

Coming soon: comedy night, queer night, and marijuana meditation

Although the cafe quietly reopened its doors to customers at the end of October, things will get going this month, starting with a big watch party for the big football game on February 11 (smoke a bowl to… well, you get the idea) hosted by former mixed martial arts fighter Nick Diaz.

“Super Bowl week is going to be packed,” Dejanae Evins, the cafe’s experiential marketing and events manager, told The Times. “On the 13th we will begin our [every-other-Tuesday] queer wine night called Verse, which will be co-hosted by Ashlee Belzo[of cannabis collective] Puff Dao in our wine patio, where people can enjoy a glass of wine, small bites and a DJ. And then if they want to end the night with a joint and ice cream on the other side, they can.”

Additionally, Evins said there will be weekly comedy nights from 7:30 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays (next week, it will be moved to Thursday due to Valentine's Day). Also starting February 13, there will be morning meditations (think sound baths and guided meditation) on the second and fourth Tuesday mornings of each month. “People will be able to come,” Evins said, “really start the day on a high note and then move on to do something productive, whether it's working together or meeting friends for lunch. It's our way of staying connected to the wellness community.

“We also have big plans for 420,” Evins said of the annual April 20 celebration of all things cannabis, which is less than three months away. “So definitely keep an eye out for that.”

Know before you go

• You must be 21 years or older to enter the cannabis side of the cafe, and a valid government-issued ID is required.
• Unlike the other local consumption rooms, you can Bring your own cannabis (or cannabis extracts) to smoke here, for a “tokage” fee, which is currently $25 for tables of three or less and $50 for tables of four or more.
• Plus, unlike other local consumption lounges, the coffee shop doesn't operate next to a traditional dispensary, meaning you can't just walk in, buy a bag, and bounce back. But you can consume a little and then eliminate it, says Black.
• Rolling papers, grinders, lighters and rolling trays are provided, and you can also bring your own pipe or glass. Bongs and pipes can be purchased on site, and Stündenglass gravity bongs can be rented for $50.
• On-site valet parking is available for $10 (for your designated driver). Remember: when high, you should not operate anything larger than a soup spoon, much less a vehicle of any kind.
• Walk-ins are accepted on a space-available basis, but reservations are recommended and can be made through OpenTable.
• Although the establishment serves cannabis and food, it does not serve cannabis-infused food.