This 1,500-word Deep Dive helps industry professionals understand the state of cannabis consumption lounges in the United States.
Public cannabis consumption lounges first appeared about 50 years ago, during the 1970s in Amsterdam. Called koffieshops, the often-quaint and ironic establishments allowed adult-use consumption of cannabis and hash—despite the fact that cannabis was illegal in the Netherlands at the time. Local authorities chose to not enforce the laws that could have eliminated these internationally famous and rare establishments.
