Cannabis Lounges in Illinois Are Glowing up Real Hard!

Parts of Illinois are really getting hyped up with new bring-your-own cannabis lounges. It’s a slow but solid start, and we’re seeing great success coming on its way!

If you didn't know already, Illinois prohibits the public use of cannabis. However, they’ve recently allowed some cannabis lounges to open up and it’s attracting many excited customers. You’ll have to bring your own cannabis, but that won’t interrupt the excitement of the town for such a great step up in the cannabis legalization process.

We’ve only seen two sites opened up in DeKalb and downstate Sesser. But the situation will soon change since we’ve seen few dispensaries and lounge owners looking for new opportunities in the state.

Weed remains illegal to smoke in public, and on private property such as hotels or apartments where owners prohibit it. These newly open cannabis lounges provide a legal place for adults to enjoy — and create social gatherings with friends or acquaintances.

Economic Development Director Steven Mitchell mentioned that the City Council fully supports the CBD business. “Cannabis has been here since cannabis has been around. Southern Illinois University got a reputation in the 1960s and ‘70s as sort of a hippie town. Lots of folks came from the Chicago area and introduced a new culture to the region, and it has remained.”- Mitchell said.

In Sesser, the Luna Lounge has just opened. This is a BYO-style venue where customers are encouraged to buy cannabis from an off-site dispensary. It’s a safe space where customers won’t have to worry about being kicked out of a bar for rolling up a joint. Ownership says it’s the first of its kind in the state and a way to make Sesser more of a tourist destination. Not only the locals are getting thrilled about the new spots, but cannabis-friendly travelers are looking for it as well.

At another college town, DeKalb, Aroma’s Hookah Bar serves tobacco and also allows customers to bring in their own marijuana. Since opening in June, the store has offered some fascinating promotions that every cannabis lover must check out, with free arcade games. They also serve snacks and nonalcoholic drinks to enjoy along with your favorite marijuana. At the moment, we can even spot up to 70 customers hanging out at the lounge at once. And we’re excited to see the place getting more crowded during Fall. Co-owner Cameron Dye is expecting the business to blow up soon when the new semester starts in Fall, which brings them more students coming.

Last year, only one marijuana dispensary opened up in downtown Chicago, and since then there weren’t any more businesses following up. On-site consumption is still strictly controlled in the city, but it’s full of potential for many more business opportunities. When laws are loosened, the cannabis industry in Illinois and Chicago will unleash its full potential and glow up much more than this. We just can’t wait to see more mainstream cannabis businesses around the area and looking forward to great success coming to current cannabis lounges.

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