Cannabis Consumption Lounge opens in Michigan as first step

According to a press release, a new company called Hot Box Social announced that it is the first licensed adult consumption lounge to open doors in Michigan. Michigan is now the seventh state in the US to allow consumption lounges, but the way businesses are regulated varies.

While Liberty Ann Arbor was slated to be Michigan’s first consumption lounge, a pharmacy representative told the High Times that the licensing process is in the works, but the lounge is not yet open. Vehicle City Social is another similar venture, but only open to patients and caregivers.

The consumption lounge opens in Hazel Park, Detroit, Michigan between 9 Mile and 10 Mile streets. Hot Box Social is owned by Trucenta, based in Troy, Michigan, which also operates the award-winning adult care center Breeze in Hazel Park.

However, cannabis products consumed at Hot Box Social must be supplied by a licensed supply center (dispensary). However, the lounge does provide on-site advisors to help guests consume.

Hot Box Social will open for private events later this month. The venue is at 23610 John R on Main Street Hazel Park. The team behind Hot Box Social plans to create a relaxed venue for meetings and special events where cannabis can be consumed in a safe and supportive environment.

“It’s an exciting time,” Nowfal Akash, Trucenta’s chief information officer, told the High Times. “When it comes to marijuana, you can either wait or take the lead, and Trucenta and Hot Box Social are proud to be number one as the state’s first licensed consumption lounge. We will start with private and paid events and will open to the general public later this summer.”

For private indoor events, the capacity is initially limited to around 200 people. The 3,000-square-foot indoor lounge will initially be open to private events and later this year to the public. The team also plans to open a 5,000-square-foot patio later this summer.

“We are honored that Michigan has granted us the state’s first license for a consumption lounge,” Akash said in a statement. “Our plan is to initially use the space for corporate, social and special events. In the summer, we will begin planning events to allow the public to experience Hot Box Social with consumer-friendly activities such as social gatherings, educational offerings and artistic activities.”

Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency began accepting applications for all adult-use licenses, including consumption rooms, on November 1, 2019. Some other companies are trying to do the same. The Liberty Ann Arbor cannabis supply center in Ann Arbor also set about becoming Michigan’s first consumption lounge after receiving one of the first licenses. Ann Arbor, for example, is planning to issue 28 licenses for such a business model. Detroit last year listed 35 available consumer facility licenses.

The lounge took two years to build, complete with sliding glass doors that can quickly ventilate a smoky space, Detroit News reports. This beautiful but functional design could allow enough light but also allow a place that can air out easily.

“We hope Hot Box Social will be used to provide a new experience for businesses hosting brainstorming meetings, friends gathering for private parties, and unique fundraisers to raise money for nonprofits,” added Akash added.

The amount of doses that customers can receive starts small, almost a microdose, but is likely to grow to a larger initial dose.

“The FDA has some recommendation about 5mg as a starting dose. We want to cut that in half and probably hover around the 2-2.5mg range for a beginner just to be safe,” Akash said, according to a report by WXYZ Detroit.

Currently, the team behind Hot Box Social doesn’t know if they’ll be charging guests for space usage, but for now they’ll be opening a kitchen serving food.