Well it was only a matter of time before a trendy hotel chain would start offering cannabis to its hotel guests, and it looks like The Standard has become the first to pave the way.
Teaming up with premium cannabis edibles company Lord Jones, the hotel will begin stocking its minibars with both CBD-infused gummies and lotions nationwide beginning April 10th. The gummies are bright-colored candies that come in fruit flavors like lemon, mango, blueberry, and blood orange, while the cannabinoid lotions are great for post-workout muscle aches and general muscle pains.
The news of the nationwide minibar launch comes fresh off the heels of another recent announcement from the new partnership last November, where The Standard told media outlets that its new Hollywood location would be the first American hotel with a legal dispensary inside—a high-end one curated with luxury Lord Jones products and accessories.
According to Lord Jones founder and CEO Robert Rosenheck, the dispensary (the 2-year-old brand’s first retail flagship) will take up about 300 square feet just to the right of the hotel’s main entrance on Sunset Boulevard.
However, there are still quite a few legal hurdles to tackle first. While California’s citizens voted to legalize adult recreational use a year ago, state and local laws around the sale of THC products are still in the process of being worked out and won’t be in place until some time next year. In addition, Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, so a national hotel chain going this route, albeit a smaller, boutique one like The Standard, still faces various challenges
“California has a dual-licensing program,” said Rosenheck, “which means you need to have a local license as a prerequisite for applying for a state license, and you need both to operate.”
Still, The Standard’s Chief Executive and managing partner Amar Lalvani doesn’t seem too concerned about the legal hurdles or possible ramifications ahead. “We’re doing everything we need to do to be compliant in any way with whatever the regulations are,” said Lalvani. “But the cannabis details will fall to Lord Jones.”
Hopefully those details will be all sorted out in time, paving the way for what looks to be a promising new opportunity for bringing cannabis into the mainstream, not-to-mention a new space for cannabis lovers the world over to experience all the plant has to offer. And we’ll toast to that, minibar prices be damned.
