Café Patrons Smoke Up Together

When the Obama administration loosened its medical marijuana laws last month it sure made Albert Santistevan's life a whole lot better.

The cancer patient and former jewelry store owner holds a medical marijuana card in his home state of Oregon, but found smoking at home an isolating experience. But that's all changed ever since the Cannabis Café recently opened in Portland. The establishment, which is operated by the Oregon chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, does not sell marijuana, but gives legal smokers a comfortable place to gather and, well, smoke up.

"It's a very positive atmosphere. We could use more places like that," Santistevan told The Associated Press.

Inside the café, patrons hang out on one of the cozy couches, or around the pool table. They can bring in their own weed, or take advantage of the stuff that's donated to the café for their use. While most folks smoke the stuff, some take advantage of the "Volcano," a vaporizer that collects marijuana smoke into a clear plastic pouch with a valve that releases the fumes for patients to inhale. Patrons are not allowed inside the café until a NORML member checks their medical marijuana ID at the door. There is also a $20 monthly fee and $5 charge at the door to cover operating expenses.

Amazingly, they have received no complaints from neighbors, although some are a bit wary.

"It's better than having a sex club, a strip joint or a bar full of drunks open down the street," said neighbor Claudia Nix.

The Cannabis Café is one of two pot bars to open in Portland. The other, Highway 420, is operated in a back room behind Steve Geiger's pipe shop. Geiger says he believes in the benefits of using medical marijuana, well, jointly. "The truth is that nobody that takes medication every day would be told you have to take that at home."

About a dozen other states have passed medical marijuana laws, and even though Oregon is the only one with pot cafés, NORML says other states have made inquiries about them.

So getting high might start getting a whole lot more social.

Photo courtesy of Gergerger7 via stock.xchang.