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Inside Michigan's first-ever cannabis consumption lounge in Hazel Park

Posted at 3:32 PM, Mar 26, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-26 15:32:26-04

(WXYZ) — The first marijuana consumption lounge is set to open its doors later this month in Hazel Park.

RELATED: Michigan's first-ever cannabis consumption lounge approved in Hazel Park

Hotbox Social will start off with private events and then will open to the public later in the year.

It's the first of its kind to be granted a state permit where users can recreationally light one up or smoke a bong.

But there's a catch, you can't bring in your own stash just yet.

"We're able to accept deliveries from any retailer in the area. We don't actually sell here," CIO at Trucenta Nowfal Akash said. "Delivery drivers show up and maintain the transaction inside where it's safe."

Experts will also be on hand to teach those who are new users.

"The FDA has a certain recommendation about 5mg as an initial dose. We want to cut that in half and probably float around the 2-2.5mg range for a first-timer just to be safe," Akash said.

Michigan is now the 7th state to allow these consumption lounges.

"We saw a need for a way for social consumption to occur in a responsible manner," Michigan's top Cannabis Regulator Andrew Brisbo said. "We can ensure the safety of the employees working in those types of establishments."

There are a lot of regulations for these consumption lounges including an adequate ventilation system.

"So this room has the oversized ventilation where if we were to turn it off, you can easily hot box this room with 5 people," Akash said. "In the cannabis community, you can challenge a cannabis user to hotbox anything."

And you can also store your bong or stash into lockers.

The whole lounge can fit up to 200 people.

"If there's a bar you can drink in, there should be a bar you can smoke in," Keith Conrad said. He lives in the neighborhood.

"I don't think that you know this will be any more of a nuisance than your neighborhood bar."

Hotbox Social is located on Tucker and John R..

As of right now, they don't know if they will be charging for the space usage, but they will be opening up a kitchen that will offer food.