Signs in front of the pop-up Lower East Side gallery space include a club “logo” and addresses for a website and social-media accounts that appear to promote the coming of an ultra-exclusive marijuana supper club with a strict dress code and membership requirements. But cynics think it’s all part of a social or artistic parody, publicity stunt, or buildup to an April Fool’s prank.
A “Country Club Cannabis” pop-up storefront on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in New York City has spurred speculation on whether what’s being promoted as an ultra-exclusive marijuana supper club is a legitimate new private-club venture, or a publicity stunt and/or evolving April Fool’s prank, the Gothamist.com website reported.
Signs on the windows of the storefront include “Coming Soon” notices with a club logo and the messages “Are You Worthy?” and “Exclusive By Design,” along with addresses for a website (https://www.countryclubcannabisny.com) and social media accounts (@countryclubcannabisny)
The website and the social media accounts are even more explicit in describing a stated desire to create a club that will do background checks and won’t allow people with ripped jeans to enter, Gothamist.com reported. One social media post included a link to a recent Wall Street Journal article about The Summit Lounge in Worcester, Mass., a private cannabis lounge that has been open for over a year, with the message that Country Club Cannabis would be “This, but with style…”
The Country Club Cannabis website includes a “Conduct Standard” page that outlines these Dress Code requirements: “Country Club Cannabis is an elegant, formal space. We may consider the following when evaluating potential members:
- Pants must be rip-free and sit at the waist
- No flat-brimmed hats
- No visible tattoos
- No sneakers
- All members must pay close attention to their personal hygiene and grooming (no unkempt or messy hairstyles)”
The Conduct Standard page also includes this message: “As an exclusive and private club, we reserve the right to consider any applicant’s criminal history, credit score, character references from current members, educational background [and] citizenship.”
The website’s “About” section includes this description, Gothamist.com reported:
“Country Club Cannabis was created with traditional values in mind. Soon, we will provide outstanding services available exclusively to our members. Join us in a celebration of our heritage to ensure an elevated, clean experience. We are founded on the belief that you should have a space where your reputation and influence can be recognized among others who share your values.”
The section also includes a quote from “CEO & Founder LH Taylor,” a name that “didn’t provide a lot of evidence one way or the other via Google searches,” Gothamist.com reported. Taylor’s quote on the website says, “I created Country Club Cannabis because I wanted a luxurious, safe place to be with people I trust—turns out I found a whitespace in the industry.”
The website also lists of the “privileges” members are promised, including spa access, clubhouse dining and networking events, access to a rooftop greenhouse, and even access to legal counsel, Gothamist.com reported.
The website’s Contact Us section (or as it’s called, “Are You One Of Us?”), tells interested parties to “Inquire before March 31, 2019 to help make legalized cannabis a refined reality.”
Because the website “deadline” is right before April Fool’s Day, that has fueled speculation, along with the perceived “elitist” tone of the promotion, that the whole thing is meant to be “a social and artistic parody on marijuana startups,” Gothamist.com wrote, or an attempt by legalization advocates to gather names and support for the cause.
Gothamist.com reported that it had made efforts to try to get details from whoever might be behind the website, social media posts and storefront, but had not yet had any response.
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