Society

Seattle Restaurant Hopes To Serve Marijuana Seasoned Cuisine

5-point-cafeBy Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

The 5 Point Café, a popular and landmark café near the Space Needle in Seattle wishes to add a new spice to their selection—marijuana.

Restaurant owner David Meinert hopes to cash in on the recent legalization of weed to add a new edge and definition to high quality dining.

He hopes that existing laws and licensing can be changed to facilitate the service of marijuana infused products on an on-premise basis. Current state law does not allow consumption of marijuana in businesses licensed to sell the commodity. Further complicating his goal is that administrative law forbids liquor licensees selling marijuana or marijuana products. This will likely be a long term campaign by similar minded businesses due to resistance from the state Liquor and Cannabis Board.

Mr. Meinert believes the lack of inclusion for on-premise in Initiative 502, which legalized and regulated marijuana in the state, provided a fatal flaw in the purpose of the measure.

In an interview with KOMO News, he stated:

“I think we should start pushing the issue now. It’s a real thing. Customers want it. If lawmakers don’t do something about, I’ll look into running an initiative like they are doing in Denver.”

While I personally believe marijuana legalization is beneficial I have concerns with licensed on-premise consumption. I believe unlike consumption in non-public places, permitting consumption in bars in restaurants will increase significantly DUI arrests and collisions.

The vast majority of alcohol related DUI arrests and collisions results from alcohol consumption at on-premise licensees such as bars, taverns, and restaurants. Consuming THC laden strain of marijuana at bars and restaurants will likely, though to a lesser degree, mirror that of alcohol.

Spacecake
Spacecake

Further complicating the issue is the amount of absorbed dosage in the body. THC marijuana edibles often take fifteen minutes or more to be absorbed into the body before the high is achieved. Moreover, the customer is not likely to know the amount of marijuana infused into the food or beverage product, whereas with alcoholic beverages, the public is aware of the approximate effects of a particular beverage and the quantity consumed. This provides the ability to roughly gauge a limit to be consumed. With a THC food product made without quality controls this might be more difficult. Edible products in marijuana retailers are required to submit to quality control levels for THC content and provide labeling of THC of percentages just as alcoholic beverages are on the federal and state levels.

spacecake-varietyIndividuals are not required to adhere to marijuana food product regulations for making edibles for private consumption.

A mitigating factor statistically is the number of marijuana DUI arrests is small but the ability to consume at licensed retailers is presently illegal. With the delayed effect of consumables this might increase; though the same can be said of alcohol.

Of course, very low THC strains of marijuana could be a middle ground. But, unless used for medicinal purposes, realistically would most customers buy marijuana cookies if they couldn’t get stoned?

By Darren Smith

Sources:

The 5 Point Café (Photo Credit)
KOMO News

The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.

31 thoughts on “Seattle Restaurant Hopes To Serve Marijuana Seasoned Cuisine”

  2. There would also be the affect on the business’ overall ability to deduct expenses if it can be classed as a business trafficking in a controlled substance. It would have to have a huge profit margin on these items to make up for the lost ability to deduct business expenses.

  3. The way liberal politicians regulate and tax cannabis shows no one like them can screw up a wet dream.

  4. If anyone knows anything about Belltown…
    … Is that there is no parking available.

  6. This is by design.

    The new protocol is to consume marijuana and THEN listen to the Supreme Court…oh, and

    the “overreaching” executive branch.

    By the way, has anyone heard that “tipping point” crash yet?

    Law and order?

    No. Whimsy and fiat.

  7. NEW: Marijuana excise tax rates change
    http://dor.wa.gov/Content/FindTaxesAndRates/marijuana/Default.aspx

    Beginning July 1, 2015, the excise tax structure for recreational marijuana is changing.

    Under the new law (2E2SHB 2136), the marijuana excise tax is:

    No longer levied on the producers, processors and retailers. Instead, the tax is now imposed on retail customers.
    Going from 25 percent (at each level) to 37 percent on the retail customer.
    No longer part of the selling price subject to retail sales or B&O taxes.
    This tax is still paid to the Liquor and Cannabis Board (formerly called Liquor Control Board). Producers, processors and retailers must still pay B&O and retail sales taxes, as applicable, to Revenue. Visit the LCB website for more information on the excise tax.

    This after that…

    After Year of Washington Legal Pot Sales, Taxes Top $70M
    http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/year-washington-legal-pot-sales-taxes-top-70m-32221860

    Washington’s racked up more than $250 million in marijuana sales in the past year — roughly $62 million of which constitute marijuana excise taxes. That’s beyond the state’s original forecast of $36 million. And when state and local sales and other taxes are included, the total payday for the state and local governments tops $70 million.

    That’s real money, if only a drop in Washington’s $38 billion two-year budget. Colorado’s recreational sales began Jan. 1, 2014, and brought in taxes of $44 million in the first year.

    The tax revenue could continue to keep climbing.

    And rising…

  8. Ore gun, Oregon. That’s where the tall corn grows!

    Or is that Iowa?

  9. issac

    I agree with you, to a point. Vodka is abundant, cheap and readily available in places like Russia, for example, which serves to suppress the masses who are too inebriated and liquored-up to do much else. Alcoholism is a serious and rampant problem in the former Soviet Union, yet it serves the beneficial purpose of sedating the population into what is, for the most part, blind compliance. I see the widespread dissemination of pot, and other similar drugs, in the same respect. I don’t, however, put marijuana in the same category as easily accessible consumer goods, such as food, gas, televisions, etc. Would you rather allow only the wealthy and the privileged to have affordable access to food, gas and other consumer goods? Those should be considered necessities and not just items reserved for the wealthy and privileged. I understand your point, but your comparison is off.

  10. Another post on Turley that is pure fantasy. Not. Gonna. Happen.

    But excellent PR for the Cafe.

  11. bam bam

    The French royalty made sure that the peasants had plenty of cheap table wine and plenty of cheap tobacco. That worked until the middle class, entrepreneur class went after a larger piece of the pie. Yes the poor are typically ineffective in changing things. However, pot is nothing compared to the cheap gas, cheap flat screens, cheap garbage food, cheap booze, and cheap everything else that placate the masses. In the US the masses are to be found at the bottom. Not much different than some third world countries before ‘Come the Revolution’.

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