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Weed Report: First look at Sessions by the Bay
We visit the site of the county's first licensed cannabis lounge
Every year, cannabis enthusiasts throughout San Diego County look forward to 4/20 — a day for celebrating marijuana and the vibrant culture surrounds it. But this year, both the anticipation and celebration are starting a little bit earlier, thanks to the buzz surrounding the impending opening of National City’s Sessions by the Bay. Recently, Weed Report received an exclusive preview of the one-of-a-kind, immersive, 24,000-square-foot cannabis super joint from assistant manger Steph Diaz, who told us, “We're proud to introduce National City's first licensed cannabis consumption lounge, and to launch this historic moment with Sycuan during our ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 17.” The next day, Friday April 18, the venue — which has dubbed itself the largest cannabis consumption lounge in the U.S. — will open to the public at 9 am. The festivities will continue through, you guessed it, April 20.
As we approached along Bay Marina Drive, we were first struck by the structure’s sheer size, and then by its design — unlike that of any dispensary we’ve seen. The site is still under construction, but it already boasts a sleek, retro-industrial look.
From the street, we descended a short flight of stairs (there’s also a ramp for wheelchair access) to the glass doors of the entrance. Inside, we found a space where art and innovation merged to set the stage for a canna-immersive experience.
The roughly 4000-square-foot dispensary section exudes a natural vibe with a modern twist. Faux trees, leaves, flowers, and vines intertwine with massive backlit signage and art installations, evoking a blend of Rainforest Cafe ambiance and a futuristic Blade Runner aesthetic — all within a cannabis supermarket-style setting. Sessions’ customers can grab a plastic shopping basket and navigate a highly imaginative layout where products — flower in jars, pre-rolls, wax pens, edibles, accessories, and merchandise — are creatively displayed on glass cases, islands, and illuminated shelves embedded in the walls. Unlike most traditional dispensaries, where budtenders tend to remain behind the counter, roaming attendants and managers will be on hand to guide customers through their shopping experience.
After filling their baskets, patrons can check out and pass through a speakeasy room. Just as various San Diego drinking establishments have adopted decor that evokes the 1930s, when Prohibition banned the sale of alcohol, this evocative space is designed to resonate with old-school pot smokers and cultivators and recall the days before the passage of California’s landmark 1996 medical marijuana law and the subsequent 2016 legalization of recreational use. Here, guests can pick up exotic snacks and drinks before heading out to the parking lot for home enjoyment — or ascending via the stairway or elevator to the eagerly awaited lounge.
Cannabis enthusiasts worldwide have been anticipating this 5500-square-foot lounge ever since 3D renderings were published in the San Diego Reader and other news outlets last year. The wait was worth it. The downstairs dispensary is cool, but it’s just a weed-whiff compared to what’s upstairs. Exiting the elevator, visitors are greeted by an enormous Moroccan mirror featuring ornate seashell motifs and intricately carved details. Here you are. You are here. A massive digital print depicting streams of smoke covers the wall and sets the dramatic tone.
The decor — vintage hanging lamps, nature-inspired accents, wood panels, metallic tidbits, and checkered flooring that transitions to embedded colorful stones and cannabis-themed details — blends custom pieces with high-end furnishings, avant-garde lighting, LCD screens, premium speakers, and a quality that one might expect in the high-roller portion of a casino. (Less visually exciting, but still important for a smoky space: the exposed ceilings feature functional piping and ducts, usually painted black to avoid distracting from the excitement below, which are part of the lounge’s state-of-the-art air filtration system.)
Seating options abound — from an elongated bar and giant gold-tone birdcages surrounding VIP seating, to booths and tables where visitors can relax and consume the cannabis products they purchased downstairs. A cylindrical wooden DJ booth at the center is packed with turntables and mixing equipment for live sets. A glass-encased podcast booth stands ready to host weed-related discussions and live performances.,
For avid cannabis enthusiasts, curious visitors, and oh yes, writers for an outlet that’s been covering the cannabis scene since the 1970s, Sessions By The Bay should be a mind-blowing good trip. Sign up for our newsletter to stay current as we delve deeper into the details of Sessions' innovative concepts. The staff also provided us a tour of the under-construction 10-room immersive canna-funhouse, their collection of over-the-top custom bathrooms, the onsite infusion restaurant, and the 8000 square foot rooftop vantage point overlooking much of south San Diego, including the Coronado Bridge, Playas de Tijuana, and the nearby coast.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Weed Report: First look at Sessions by the Bay
We visit the site of the county's first licensed cannabis lounge
Weed Report: First look at Sessions by the Bay
We visit the site of the county's first licensed cannabis lounge
Every year, cannabis enthusiasts throughout San Diego County look forward to 4/20 — a day for celebrating marijuana and the vibrant culture surrounds it. But this year, both the anticipation and celebration are starting a little bit earlier, thanks to the buzz surrounding the impending opening of National City’s Sessions by the Bay. Recently, Weed Report received an exclusive preview of the one-of-a-kind, immersive, 24,000-square-foot cannabis super joint from assistant manger Steph Diaz, who told us, “We're proud to introduce National City's first licensed cannabis consumption lounge, and to launch this historic moment with Sycuan during our ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 17.” The next day, Friday April 18, the venue — which has dubbed itself the largest cannabis consumption lounge in the U.S. — will open to the public at 9 am. The festivities will continue through, you guessed it, April 20.
As we approached along Bay Marina Drive, we were first struck by the structure’s sheer size, and then by its design — unlike that of any dispensary we’ve seen. The site is still under construction, but it already boasts a sleek, retro-industrial look.
From the street, we descended a short flight of stairs (there’s also a ramp for wheelchair access) to the glass doors of the entrance. Inside, we found a space where art and innovation merged to set the stage for a canna-immersive experience.
The roughly 4000-square-foot dispensary section exudes a natural vibe with a modern twist. Faux trees, leaves, flowers, and vines intertwine with massive backlit signage and art installations, evoking a blend of Rainforest Cafe ambiance and a futuristic Blade Runner aesthetic — all within a cannabis supermarket-style setting. Sessions’ customers can grab a plastic shopping basket and navigate a highly imaginative layout where products — flower in jars, pre-rolls, wax pens, edibles, accessories, and merchandise — are creatively displayed on glass cases, islands, and illuminated shelves embedded in the walls. Unlike most traditional dispensaries, where budtenders tend to remain behind the counter, roaming attendants and managers will be on hand to guide customers through their shopping experience.
After filling their baskets, patrons can check out and pass through a speakeasy room. Just as various San Diego drinking establishments have adopted decor that evokes the 1930s, when Prohibition banned the sale of alcohol, this evocative space is designed to resonate with old-school pot smokers and cultivators and recall the days before the passage of California’s landmark 1996 medical marijuana law and the subsequent 2016 legalization of recreational use. Here, guests can pick up exotic snacks and drinks before heading out to the parking lot for home enjoyment — or ascending via the stairway or elevator to the eagerly awaited lounge.
Cannabis enthusiasts worldwide have been anticipating this 5500-square-foot lounge ever since 3D renderings were published in the San Diego Reader and other news outlets last year. The wait was worth it. The downstairs dispensary is cool, but it’s just a weed-whiff compared to what’s upstairs. Exiting the elevator, visitors are greeted by an enormous Moroccan mirror featuring ornate seashell motifs and intricately carved details. Here you are. You are here. A massive digital print depicting streams of smoke covers the wall and sets the dramatic tone.
The decor — vintage hanging lamps, nature-inspired accents, wood panels, metallic tidbits, and checkered flooring that transitions to embedded colorful stones and cannabis-themed details — blends custom pieces with high-end furnishings, avant-garde lighting, LCD screens, premium speakers, and a quality that one might expect in the high-roller portion of a casino. (Less visually exciting, but still important for a smoky space: the exposed ceilings feature functional piping and ducts, usually painted black to avoid distracting from the excitement below, which are part of the lounge’s state-of-the-art air filtration system.)
Seating options abound — from an elongated bar and giant gold-tone birdcages surrounding VIP seating, to booths and tables where visitors can relax and consume the cannabis products they purchased downstairs. A cylindrical wooden DJ booth at the center is packed with turntables and mixing equipment for live sets. A glass-encased podcast booth stands ready to host weed-related discussions and live performances.,
For avid cannabis enthusiasts, curious visitors, and oh yes, writers for an outlet that’s been covering the cannabis scene since the 1970s, Sessions By The Bay should be a mind-blowing good trip. Sign up for our newsletter to stay current as we delve deeper into the details of Sessions' innovative concepts. The staff also provided us a tour of the under-construction 10-room immersive canna-funhouse, their collection of over-the-top custom bathrooms, the onsite infusion restaurant, and the 8000 square foot rooftop vantage point overlooking much of south San Diego, including the Coronado Bridge, Playas de Tijuana, and the nearby coast.