NJ Weedman lights a joint while standing in front of a mural of himself.
Photo by Natalia Galicza
When NJWeedman (legal name Edward Forchion) stumbled upon Wynwood on the first weekend in February 2021, he made a promise to himself. Even though this promise was made in a mist of marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms, he says he will never forget it.
“I kind of said I would never leave Miami,” he tells the New Times.
Maybe it was the mushrooms, but he swears the art district murals came to life this weekend. Passers-by flooded Wynwood’s sidewalks, and as NJ Weedman passed them, he sniffed cannabis-scented smoke with every step. It all felt like a sign that the nation’s green onslaught was about to storm Miami. And as an outspoken proponent of marijuana for more than 30 years, he believed this could be the perfect place to leave a lasting legacy.
Five months later, he kept his promise.
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The Joint of Miami opened on the 4th weekend of July. The members-only weed lounge is open Thursday through Sunday evenings, with performances by DJs and the occasional fire dancers or strippers. Guests can purchase an annual membership for $ 420 or pay $ 40 at the door for a day pass. A limited selection of liquor is available and no marijuana is sold on the premises, but stoners can smoke their own supplies while socializing.
NJWeedman believes the square will mark another step towards mainstreaming recreational cannabis use in a city where only medical use is legal.
Staff at most Wynwood clubs and bars routinely ignore the passing of spliffs, but the Joint is the only venue of its kind in Miami. It markets itself explicitly and exclusively as a cannabis smoking place.
“I want to be responsive to the community,” says NJ Weedman. “I’m openly looking for stoners as patrons. Not everyone else does that. ”
Graffiti next to the roller shutter door shows a wall-length bong and an equally massive marijuana bud. The interior walls are painted black and serve as canvases for local artists, with black-light murals shimmering under stage lights to brighten up the bar and dance floor, the latter complete with a stripper pole.
The air is saturated with enough smoke to rival Miami’s humidity, and a food truck – aptly referred to as a Munchie Mobile – sits on fake grass in an outdoor area at the back of the venue. The menu has yet to be finalized, but imagine a variety of nibbles ranging from vegetarian tacos and empanadas to hot dogs and french fries. The joint also features a full bar so you can relax with your smoke along with your drink of choice.
The Munchie Mobile is parked in the back yard of NJ Weedman’s Lounge.
Photo by Natalia Galicza
The live music includes Latin sets on Thursdays, reggae on Fridays, hip-hop on Saturdays, and alternative rock on Sundays. Finally, NJWeedman intends to host events like yoga classes and spoken word readings, although none are currently planned. He’s also currently shooting a reality show, Miami’s High Life With NJWeedman, with Unleashed Entertainment to document the startup.
The joint drew over 100 customers over the weekend in the first two weeks of business. It’s a promising start, but NJWeedman expects more growth. He hinted at the prospect of hosting well-known rappers in the near future.
“In a few weeks we’ll be a finely tuned stoner machine,” he promises.
The entrance to the lounge is decorated with murals that glow under blue light.
Photo by Natalia Galicza
Much of his confidence is based on experience. The 57-year-old runs a smoke shop and restaurant in Trenton, New Jersey, which made headlines for selling marijuana products and psychedelic mushrooms right across from City Hall (before the state legalized recreational marijuana last year). He also owned a grass lounge in Los Angeles. The Joint is his first company in Florida.
But marijuana use is not yet legal in Florida. And while Weedman admits he doesn’t know if he faces legal ramifications for this facility, he claims to have received calls from attorneys offering their services on standby.
Community support makes it more palatable to deal with the prospect of litigation. Besides, he’s been there before. It is all part of his stated goal to normalize cannabis use and put power back in the hands of those excluded from the predominantly white and affluent legal cannabis industry.
“I’m a felon too, so I’m going down this way,” says the weed entrepreneur.
Criminal sentencing restrictions often prohibit individuals with nonviolent marijuana charges from obtaining state licenses necessary to work in the industry. Weedman calls the socialization of marijuana the “Christopher Columbus Effect”.
“Companies pretend they discovered marijuana, but we should be the people delivering weed to the people in this industry,” he argues. “In war, the losing side can never split the rewards. The government lost the war on drugs, but it still wants to split the rewards in the cannabis industry. ”
Weedman is confident that it can bypass any legal obstacles that might arise. Scrolling through the home page of his personal website reveals a photo of him smoking a joint above the text “FUCK THE LAW, SMOKE IT ANYWAY”. Puns aside, his goals of turning his little lounge into a “Disney World of Weed” and attracting crowds of tourists are blunt. He hopes other weed clubs and lounges will follow suit and he is excited to be pioneering.
“I think we are preparing to be the hottest new club in town.”
The Miami joint. 2010 NW Miami Ct., Miami; 786-860-5634; thejointofmiami.com. Open Thursday to Sunday evenings from 7:10 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. (opening times may vary).
source https://outdoorsportsnews.com/njweedmans-the-joint-miami-wynwood-review/
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