10 Tips for Hosting a Cannabis Dinner Party
With the debut of Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party and the emergence of invite only of $500 a plate cannabis dinners popping up all over Malibu and the Bay, we wanted to shine light on the joys of fine cannabis dining. A few weekends ago we followed suit and summoned a few beautiful souls to enjoy a multi course food and strain pairing in a beautiful loft overlooking Seattle’s Elliot bay. Looking to throw your own cannabis dinner party? Here are 10 tips to throw the perfect THC infused evening.
The only real question you need to ask yourself before you plan your dinner is: infused food vs dry leaf pairings? For first timers, a dry leaf pairing approach is highly recommended. While an infused dinner can be more economical, infusing food isn’t newbie friendly and its easy to over medicate your guests or alter the flavor of the food to become unpalatable. Letting guests choose their buzz level by offering dry leaf pairings with each course ensures that every individual’s THC tolerance level is respected. If you want to offer an infused multi course meal, we suggest you watch Weedmap’s guide to infusing olive oil and butter. Note: before making cannabutter and infused oils, you must decarb your bud. Decarbing is the process of making your cannabis psychoactive prior to infusion by gently heating it to 310 to 400°F.
- Get inspired: Dinner parties are a great excuse to use your imagination, especially with cannabis thrown into the mix. If culinary feats aren’t your strong suit, a bit of creativity and elbow grease can transform an ordinary space into an extraordinary experience for your guests. Outdoor cannabis dinner parties are especially popular in the summer but for legality sake it’s always easier to throw an indoor gathering. To get inspiration flowing for your evening, sit down with a friend to create a menu, pick a color palette, or choose a theme to base the night around. White Rabbit High Tea is a great example of a private cannabis event that offers a traditional english tea service in an eclectic atmosphere with costumes and yummy THC infused edibles such as cashews and tea cakes.
- Paper table cloths: The easiest way to add a spark of fun to your dinner party is to supply an outlet for creativity. Buying a roll of butcher paper and crayons for people to doodle on and create conversation makes a great icebreaker and is a low cost way to make your party memorable. Adding a photobooth is a great way to glam up a small gathering, elevate your host game by hanging this $6 very instagramable iridescent wall hanging and play photographer.
3. Plan your playlist in advance: Guests are going to be in an altered state of consciousness and the last thing you want to leave to chance is ambiance. Music can either make or break an evening. Remember that THC can induce anxiety or paranoia so lowkey ambient tunes are essential, anything with 150+ BPM is not going to complement the mood. I’ve conveniently made three dinner playlists for you via Soundcloud, booyah.
4. Decide your fee: If this is a BYOW event then charging a fee isn’t nessecary, however if you’re supplying the cannabis then including a requested donation in your invitation is highly suggested. Cannabis isn’t cheap and the food and any adult beverages you supply will easily add up to be three times the normal dinner party cost. People will actually find your event more exciting if there is a price tag involved because buying into an experience creates suspense.
Tips on Execution: it’s all in the details
5. Be playful: Cannabis is about elevating the senses that delight the mind and body. Sound, lighting, color and smell can easily be manipulated to create an unforgettable atmosphere. Decorate your surroundings with aromatherapy diffusers, fresh flowers and herbs, and colorful decorations. I’ve found two inexpensive IKEA floor lamps can easily transform the entire feel of a room to be magical when paired with bluetooth color changing lightbulbs. To create a secluded mysterious atmosphere, simply buy several pieces of muslin at a craft store to drape and arrange a fort like enclosure around your dining area. This works easier for indoor dinners but can easily be adapted for the outdoors and creates maximum wow factor with minimal investment.
6. Laughter: Most dinner parties tend to have a formal air, cannabis turns that notion on its head and invites silliness. Games like Cards Against Humanity, Twister and Connect 4 are a riot when stoned and allow guests that may not know eachother to easily interact. Simply place them on the table and watch the rest unfold.
7. No candles- I can hear you saying to yourself, “A dinner party without candles, are you insane?”. While cannabis and fire mix, very high guests and fire do not mix. Its far better to ensure a safe event where a tablecloth doesn’t catch on fire than fretting over a few lost ambiance points. As you can see from the images below we had candles, but we also had two designated babysitters :)
8. Keep CBD on hand: Being a good host requires you keep tools on hand to help guests who encounter paranoia and anxiety during your dinner. Cannabis’s psychoactive effects can induce a panic attack and uncomfortable feelings in the most seasoned of users and CBD helps quickly squash any paranoia that may arise. Mary’s Medicinals supplys some excellent mail order CBD transdermal patches I wrote about here if you have a hard time finding CBD in your state.
9. Get Comfy: The first thing we all gravitate towards when stoned is comfort. Be sure to create a space away from the action of the dinner table where guests can retreat to decompress. Create a snuggly atmosphere with throw pillows, bean bags, and blankets for when things start to wind down. Some of the best moments at a dinner party happen after dinner is over and everyone can lounge around comfortably telling jokes, connecting and enjoying music.
10. 86 the Alcohol: While it may seem odd to not offer any alcohol at a party, I discourage mixing cannabis and alcohol. Alcohol dulls the senses and when mixed with cannabis can make guests overly intoxicated. Let your guests focus on the enhanced flavors, sights and smells that cannabis provides and leave alcohol out of the picture unless there is a designated driver present.
Have more to add or questions? Feel free to email us at contact@fez.com!
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