There are a few states left in the U.S. with no form of legal weed. While their citizens wait for voter-backed initiatives to pass or governor-issued reforms, brands are serving up products made with Farm Bill-compliant hemp THC. The Farm Bill allows for the cultivation, sale, and manufacturing of hemp that tests with 0.3 percent THC or less.
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Some companies harness the power of chemistry to turn legal hemp into an intoxicating product akin to what people may find in the dispensary. This commonly utilized loophole has led to contention within the cannabis industry, setting regulated brands against hemp companies operating outside of those stringent guidelines. This has also created a wellspring of weed hangouts in places without a regulated market.
Despite the controversy that surrounds them, these hemp products are bringing cannabis to more people than ever, and that in itself may not be a bad thing.
In Indiana and Texas, for instance, some entrepreneurs are opening taprooms, cafes, and lounges complete with THC even though the government has yet to legalize cannabis in these states. These new businesses have opened in spite of legality, creating access where it is needed most.
Indiana welcomes new THC taproom
Possessing or consuming cannabis is illegal in Indiana aside from a limited medical program, but that has not stopped The Health Club (THC). The taproom serves non-alcoholic hemp THC drinks alongside other wellness-oriented products in Indianapolis.
The company crafts its own in-house brand of drink flavors like cucumber mint, strawberry lemonade, and mango tango in 10 and five-milligram cans. Brownies and cinnamon rolls are also available alongside a bounty of gummies in various cannabinoid formulations.
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Events are another focus of THC Taproom & Cafe, where yoga, trivia nights, and live music grace the calendar. The success of this space is no surprise, as recent surveys show more support than ever for legalization. The same goes for Texans, who continue pushing for decriminalization amid a thriving hemp market.
Lounges are popping up all over Texas
Texas will soon be home to multiple cannabis lounges and cafes in Dallas and San Antonio. In Dallas, Emerald Organics promises a cannabis consumption lounge touting “legal THC contents” based on third-party lab results.
“In the simplest terms, think of it like a cigar lounge combined with a bar, but with THC and CBD products—a safe, legal space where people can enjoy cannabis products like smokable flower, beverages, and edibles, whether they’re seasoned users or curious newcomers,” founder Candice Stinnett said in Community Impact.
Set to open in spring in celebrations of five years of operations for the Emerald Organics hemp-derived dispensary. The space will further the company’s mission to educate and connect with the local community, centering the plant all the way.
Food, music, good weed, and great company are expected at the lounge, which will not be the only weed hangout in the Lone Star State.
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Lazydaze San Antonio reopens in tourist epicenter
San Antonio visitors and residents can now visit a cannabis cafe in the active entertainment area of St. Mary’s Strip. Lazydaze + Coffeeshop announced its opening a few days before Thanksgiving on social media to much excitement in the comments.
Guests are invited to stop in to buy a joint and light it up with a cup of coffee, good music, and friends in tow. You can order drinks infused with cannabinoids or just enjoy a traditional cup of coffee at the establishment. Everyone chooses their own ratios. As for how the cafe sells mind-altering cannabis in Texas, they also utilize Farm Bill-compliant bud.
Stoners in states where cannabis is not legal are often jealous of their neighbors with dispensary-lined streets. Fortunately for them, hemp THC products, cafes, dispensaries, and lounges are bridging the gap from prohibition to legalization while reform efforts trudge on.
