West Hollywood, Oct. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – October 26, 2022 – On October 27, 2021 West Hollywood declared itself as the Emerald Village, the world’s newest destination for cannabis travel and tourist attractions. Over the last year, while global cannabis havens like Amsterdam and Thailand have teeter tottered between progression and regression when it comes to cannabis tourism, West Hollywood has fully embraced the budding industry with tourists following the cannabis road from all over the world to the Emerald Village.
Emerald Village West Hollywood, America’s first municipal cannabis tourism board representing cannabis businesses exclusively in West Hollywood, has celebrated a number of accomplishments in its mission to grow the City’s reputation as a global cannabis destination. A few key highlights include:
- Launch of the West Hollyweed Fun Map cannabis dispensary and lounge tourism map
- Launch of the “Please Respect Our Neighbors” campaign promoting responsible cannabis use by encouraging customers to not consume cannabis in public spaces.
- Launch of the “Come Out for Cannabis” campaign drawing parallels between the quest for decriminalization of cannabis and the struggle for LGBTQ rights
- Raising funds for local AIDS charity Being Alive through the Queen of the Emerald Village contest during Pride Month
- Crowning of drag artist Kalista Stage for the inaugural Queen of the Emerald Village
- Participating as a speaker at the American Bar Association Panel on Cannabis Hospitality and Tourism
- Reaching out to LGBTQ+ tourists with activations at Palm Springs and West Hollywood Pride festivals
- Attending ICBC Barcelona and participated in the IGLTA Milan Destination Expo
- Networking to create international partnerships with cannabis businesses in Amsterdam
- Celebrating the opening of The Artist Tree Studio and Consumption Lounge - Southern California’s only full-service cannabis lounge that offers edible dining, infused canna-brunches and drag shows, live music, art, consumption events and wellness classes
- Celebrating the opening of theWOODS dispensary, owned by Woody Harrelson and Bill Maher
Over the next several weeks, the Emerald Village anticipates the opening of three additional consumption lounges including: theWOODS (dubbed West Hollywood’s only Ganja Giggle Garden outfitted with private smoking cabanas), Hightimes Lounge (formerly OG Cannabis Café and now owned by parent company of High Times Magazine – official name yet to be announced) and a dispensary lounge on the famous Sunset Strip (name to be announced at a later date). Additional members of Emerald Village West Hollywood with dispensaries currently open include Alternative Herbal Health Services (AHHS or AHHS WEHO, owned by Jason Beck the “longest continuous retail operator of cannabis in the US), The Artist Tree, CALMA (owned by Jay-Z’s The Parent Company), LA Patients and Caregivers Group (LAPCG), MedMen, and Zen Healing Collective.
“This past year has been a very exciting time for the City of West Hollywood and cannabis culture, as we’ve seen a tremendous increase in canna-tourism, patronage and interest in the developments like celebrity owned lounges and legalized consumption events happening here in the Emerald Village,” said Scott Schmidt, Executive Director of Emerald Village West Hollywood. “As a tourism board, while we fully embrace becoming one of the world’s leading cannabis destinations that adds to the flare of world class entertainment and hospitality you expect from West Hollywood, we prioritize promoting the responsible use of cannabis and public safety so that our community will continue to welcome more cannabis businesses opening in one of America’s funnest cities.”
Since its formal public announcement as an organization, Emerald Village West Hollywood has participated in a series of community-based events and fundraisers like its annual Queen of the Emerald Village contest benefitting Being Alive LA. Each of its members have committed to social justice through programs including hiring policies to help employ those with past cannabis convictions, reserved shelf-space for minority-owned products and supporting groups who advocate for social justice and equity, LGBTQ and BIPOC communities. Public safety measures include 24-hour video surveillance and multiple on-site security officers at each store conducting foot patrols of a two-block radius on an hourly basis.
“Progressive cities like West Hollywood have been on the front lines of the legalization and normalization of cannabis, while sharing a commitment to social justice,” said Jason Beck, Board President of Emerald Village West Hollywood. “President Biden’s most recent pardon of federal marijuana offenses was a great leap in the right direction for the cannabis industry as well as individuals that were harmed by the war on drugs. However, we must continue and join together even more to ensure that cannabis is ultimately DeScheduled and nothing less is acceptable.”
As the City of West Hollywood prepares for hundreds of thousands of visitors during Halloween and the holiday season, Emerald Village West Hollywood members will host a series of cannabis events like Spooky Stoner Movie Nights, Halloweed day-night parties, and a virtual Holidaze Munchies food drive.
Locals and tourists alike can plan their cannabis adventures in West Hollywood through the Emerald Village website. The site features the latest updates on cannabis news, events, businesses, and attractions to discover what the world’s cannabis capital has to offer. Cannabis businesses within the Emerald Village also make cannabis access safe, easy, and convenient with scheduled or same day delivery within 60 minutes or less and 2.5% less delivery tax than other dispensaries located in the city of Los Angeles.
To learn more about the Emerald Village West Hollywood and Emerald Village, visit emeraldvillageweho.com and follow @emeraldvillageweho on Instagram.
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About Emerald Village West Hollywood
Founded in 2021, Emerald Village West Hollywood is a representative organization for cannabis businesses exclusively in the City of West Hollywood. Declared as the Emerald Village and the world’s cannabis capital, Emerald Village West Hollywood is governed by a Board of Directors to promote tourism, understanding of legal cannabis regulations, consumer safety and advocacy for cannabis decriminalization and social justice. For more information about the Emerald Village West Hollywood and Emerald Village, visit emeraldvillageweho.com and follow @emeraldvillageweho on Instagram.
