As recreational Cannabis is fresh in the minds of everyone in Michigan, why did you guys decide to open a Cannabis Lounge?
I thought about the basic structure of the law and what would be safest. The growth and sale will be highly regulated while adult 21 and over use is permitted across the state with no municipality approval required.
Describe a normal day in the club?
Every day is very different. Monday is movie night. We show 2 movies and provide popcorn. Entry is free for this night. Once monthly is Cannabis Taste Testing. For this night we sell tickets that range from $30 – $100 and with that comes 3 flights. The 1st flight is 4 samples of flower, the 2nd flight is 4 samples of concentrate and the 3rd is 3 samples of edibles. We have an open mic night as well. We also rent the entire facility for partial days or full days. Upcoming is a burlesque show and also an album release party for Kush Kennedy. On days where there are no events we call it Open Rec. Guests can come in and rent the recreational equipment or just hang out for free.
For new guests coming to the club, what is the joining process? Is there any vetting process?
There is no vetting process other than our door guy checks state IDs to confirm that our guests are in fact 21 years of age or up.
You do not sell Cannabis on site; however you do offer small amounts of Cannabis, which takes advantage of the Michigan Cannabis gifting law. Tell us more about this?
Other than special events it’s rare that anyone really even asks. But we do have rolled joints on hand at all times to share in case someone is without.
With the significant shift towards Cannabis for various reasons, people seem to be looking for alternatives to alcohol these days. What is your observation on this matter?
So far everyone that comes in does not seem to care for the bar and alcohol scene and gets so excited and lets us know that they have waited their whole lives for a place like us!
Being the first Cannabis Lounge in Michigan has the law been supportive?
So far so good! I find great relief now being in a business that even if law enforcement shows up I have no fear as there is never much more than an ounce on hand.
From a revenue-generating perspective, how is the club currently funded?
Barely (I’m dying laughing because it’s a struggle)
In comparison to bar clientele, how do you find your guests compared to the average bar-goer?
Everyone is so friendly and so relaxed. I’m not a bar-goer so I really don’t have much to compare too. I have seen lots of smiles and it just brings a lot of joy for me.
What are the future plans for the Rec Center?
Well we are gearing up for an excellent 420 party and High Times comes June 6th and 7th to Auto City which is one mile down the road from us so we are planning on doing it big Friday Saturday and Sunday for that! I foresee a lot of rentals where others in the community get to do their own thing as well with the space so I’m really excited to see who brings what to The Rec Center!
