Massachusetts hotelier and recently failed congressional candidate Beej Das has launched what he calls the first cannabis friendly hotel in the state, the 30-room Stonehedge Hotel & Spa in suburban Boston.
The progressive Democrat and founder of Troca Hotels said the hotel seeks guests “who appreciate the respectful, tolerant and at times playful atmosphere created by sophisticated cannabis consumers and their friends.”
HOTELS on Monday received from Das some responses to questions about how he intends to run a marijuana-friendly hotel (there are currently 10 U.S. states, including Massachusetts, that have legalized recreational marijuana use) and what the future may hold as more states legalize recreational marijuana.
HOTELS: Can you smoke marijuana in rooms or on the hotel grounds?
Beej Das: Our 420 Experience Package is available in rooms with balconies. That allows guests to have a private space in which to use cannabis, if they so desire. The property is also over 10 acres, so there are many places on campus that consumers may use cannabis without impacting those around them. Our policy is one of responsibility. Smoking is not allowed in indoor public spaces and we frown on consumption that adversely impacts those who don’t consume it.
H: Why are you promoting a cannabis-friendly hotel?
BD: There is a need for transparency in hospitality. Cannabis use among lifestyle consumers is not insignificant. As such, we felt it important to announce that the dramatic change in laws across nearly a dozen states needed recognition in the from of a response from hotel companies and brands. We don’t view cannabis differently than alcohol from a lifestyle decision perspective. That made cannabis an important topic on which to base or departure from the norms.
H: Do you think more hoteliers in states where recreational marijuana is legal will follow your lead?
BD: Yes. The analogy is what if alcohol was legal but bars were not. That is the situation we are confronted with. Consumption lounges and the regulation of public spaces where cannabis consumers may use their products in social settings will follow fairly quickly. I am sure boutique hotels will be willing participants in that space. We were able to make this bold move because we are not constrained by a conservative brand ideology. Our decision promotes and embraces a spectrum of individual choices that are legal.