West Hollywood adds a fifth cannabis lounge today, June 21, 2024, this one called Private Reserve from Off The Charts a chain of dispensaries in California, New Mexico, and Ohio. Private Reserve is located on Santa Monica Boulevard near La Cienega Boulevard with a feature that sets it apart from its restaurant-oriented predecessors of the Cannabis Cafe, Artist Tree, PleasureMed, and the Woods: Private Reserve serves smokeable and drinkable cannabis that can be enjoyed on the premises — and nothing else.

Even though certain establishments have been legally serving cannabis since 2019, cannabis lounges are still a relatively new form of hospitality in California. Private Reserve will operate just like a cocktail lounge, but instead of alcohol and food, it’ll focus on smoking and pre-canned psychoactive seltzer drinks.

Off The Charts CEO Norman Yousif and attorney Nima Haddadi are behind the operation and designed the lounge with simplicity in mind. Private Reserve’s menu showcases 20 to 30 different dried cannabis flower strains. Yousif says the half-gram portions are a better and less hazy option rather than the standard dispensary-sized eighth of a gram, a formidable amount for any individual.

“We wanted something that was focused on the cannabis, not on food,” says Haddadi. “It’s more like an upscale cocktail bar, someplace you’ll go to and just have drinks, but you get to try out different strains and won’t have to pay $20 to $40 for like a gram or an eighth of weed.”

This is the second Southern California lounge for Private Reserve, which has a location in Palm Desert. The WeHo lounge is more much substantial than in Palm Springs, seating 85 people across six booths and another 25 at the horseshoe-shaped bar. There’s also a stage for DJs and large plants hanging from the ceiling that overflow to the floor. With glowing neon lights stationed throughout, Private Reserve has a dark, moody, and loungey vibe. Yousif believes his lounge stands out from the cannabis lounge field by shifting the focus away from food.

Cannabis will be offered as joints or through a bong, as well as drinks by the California-based cannabis beverage producer Cann. These drinks are similar to hard seltzers and have a two-milligram serving size of cannabis. They’ll rotate different flavors seasonally, and the current list includes like pineapple jalapeño, blood orange cardamom, and lemon lavender. Guests can also curate a cannabis flight (similar to wine flights) to smoke. When visiting Private Reserve, there is a time limit of 90 minutes. By state law, cannabis cannot be sold after 10 p.m., but guests can preorder and have purchases stored in a secure locker to retrieve at a later time.

In February, Off The Charts was in the spotlight as SF Gate reported Yousif appearing to brag that he saved money by “not paying the vendors,” a rampant problem in the cannabis grower community. When asked for comment, Yousif responded via email with an apology, claiming the video was “taken out of context” and that he is not a “polished speaker” and credits his relationships that “remain strong and thriving.”

When complete, West Hollywood will have a total of 16 cannabis lounges, a plan that city officials put into motion back in 2018.

Private Reserve is open Thursday to Saturday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at 8448 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069. Hours will be expanded in the coming months. Reservations are required and are available on OpenTable.