Photos: America’s first cannabis cafe opens in California

America's first cannabis restaurant has opened in West Hollywood, offering diners an array of weed products and hoping to rival Amsterdam's famed coffee shops. Called Lowell Farms: A Cannabis Cafe, the much-hyped 240-seat establishment is open to people 21 and over, who can order from a cannabis menu just like they would a wine bottle. In California, which has the world's largest legal marijuana market, recreational pot became legal in 2018, setting off a mad rush by entrepreneurs to cash in on the multi-billion-dollar industry.

Updated on: Oct 03, 2019 12:45 PM IST

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Customers smoke marijuana at the Lowell Farms, a new cannabis lounge in West Hollywood, California, US. America's first cafe to allow the consumption of cannabis offers an extension to the market, where sales are largely confined to dispensaries and online orders, and tests the appetite for a more open and public consumption of a product that's still illegal in many jurisdictions. (Kyle Grillot / Bloomberg)

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People line-up for the opening of Lowell Farms. The restaurant offers diners an array of weed products and hopes to rival Amsterdam's famed coffee shops. The much-hyped 240-seat establishment is open to people 21 and over, who can order from a cannabis menu just like they would a wine bottle. (Mike Blake / REUTERS)

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A server brings food from the indoor to outdoor setting at the Lowell Cafe. “Flower Hosts,” or “budtenders,” help patrons navigate the menu, giving advice to connoisseurs or novices on what strain of cannabis to order with their meal and the potency and flavour of each product. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP)

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On offer are pre-rolled joints starting at $18 dollars apiece, highly potent concentrates, some edibles, and accessories such as bongs, pipes and dabbing devices. “It’s amazing to be a part of making history, I never thought I would have been,” said executive chef Andrea Drummer as she surveyed diners at the soft opening of the eatery on Monday. (Kyle Grillot / Bloomberg)

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Richard Eastman smokes a joint at Lowell Farms.“It’s important to have a safe space to consume in a very communal setting,” Drummer added. “The only other place that I know that to be the case is Amsterdam.” She said customers were flying in from different parts of the country, and one couple travelled from Britain to take part in the grand opening on Tuesday. (Mike Blake / REUTERS)

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The cafe’s launch comes as more and more states across America have legalized marijuana in recent years, both for medicinal and recreational purposes. The drug, however, remains illegal at the federal level. (Kyle Grillot / Bloomberg)

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Will Halverson (L) prepares to smoke from bong next to Mimi Bui as they have a meal at Lowell Farms. In California, which has the world’s largest legal marijuana market, recreational pot became legal in 2018, setting off a mad rush by entrepreneurs to cash in on the multi-billion-dollar industry. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP)

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Boxes of matches for patrons are seen at Lowell Farms. Seven other eateries similar to “Lowell Farms” are expected to open in the near future in West Hollywood, one of the first cities in the country to embrace the concept. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP)

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A worker carries a tray of marijuana products at Lowell Farms. Drummer said the restaurant’s 40 “Flower Hosts” have been trained to keep an eye on guests to make sure they are able to tolerate the cannabis they order and that nothing gets out of hand. “Our bud hosts are very proficient in enquiring and asking guest where they are at in their consumption level,” she said. (Mike Blake / REUTERS)

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A customer smokes marijuana at the cafe. “This is a great idea and I do think that normalising cannabis is something that we should do,” said Derek Bollella, 22, a business student. “If you go to Amsterdam, they have one of these every 10 feet,” he added as he smoked a joint while munching on nachos topped with avocado. (Mike Blake / REUTERS)

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Kush Doleo smokes a joint at the Lowell Farms. For Matt Kirschner, the new eatery is long overdue and marks a major milestone for the country. “This is the greatest thing that the United States has implemented into its culture in a while,” said the 22-year-old law student as he smoked a joint with a friend at Lowell’s. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP)

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A waitress is silhouetted through a doorway at the cafe. “We’re enjoying the day, the music’s good, the weather’s good and we’re in California. Life can’t get better,” Kirschner added. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP)