[imagesource:thealibi]
Mary Jane, and the people who use the sweetleaf, have grown up. The once rebellious youngsters are now the ‘OGs,’ who own businesses, raise families, and drive Range Rovers instead of VW Beetles.
Once upon a time, these herb lovers had to scavenge weed from whichever rasta would sell them a stop. But they no longer live in student digs and they no longer want average weed.
Both Mary Jane and the rebels who fell in love with her have gone legit.
The South African marijuana industry is just beginning and despite the government dragging its heels in terms of legislation, there are just enough relevant judicial rulings to help manage what political impotence can’t. And so, unburdened from Apartheid-era thinking, we enter middle age with a booming cannabis market that would have made PW Botha shit a brick.
The best part of this ‘new wave of weed’ is the ‘accreditation’ and setting of standards. Remember we’ve gone legit, so the average stoner is a bit more sophisticated, and affluent, than the student who bought weed outside the Purple Turtle. Grownups like to know what they’re buying, and have a choice in the matter.
And we demand the best.
Naturally, as curator of the Vibe, our esteemed Editor-in-Spliff, Seth Rotherham, had to embark on a journey through the world of legal marijuana in Cape Town, to search for a marijuana experience befitting Vibe royalty, or at least one with a duke-ish vibrancy.
The search led to numerous clubs, co-ops, and coffee shops that sounded promising, but turned out to be stereotypes of themselves. We were looking for the adult version of a coffee shop, a place where the menu listed hors d’oeuvres instead of starters. And just when Seth started to run out of Eye-Gene, we found it.
Cape Town’s most exclusive members-only cannabis club – the never-ending rabbit hole called The Alibi.
Now of course being a man-about-world, Mr Rotherham easily obtained membership to this elite establishment (you must be invited by the club), and after touring the stylish interior, decided it would be a good place to stay a while.The Alibi feels both corporate and chilled at the same time, and apparently several of its members use the facilities for business meetings. Others make use of the space to work online, or just get away from the grind for a few hours. Like a black dress, it can be both formal or sexy, depending on what you need.
Indeed, the whole place had a ‘smart casual’ feel about it, but definitely not in a student-friendly way. This is a place for grown-ups.Perhaps the two men in the glass box inspired us, and we decided right then what the next phase of the journey would be. We would attempt to identify the best marijuana in Cape Town. It’s a daunting task, we know, but one we are determined to see through, and if you have read this far, we ask you to come along with us as we review the best weed Cape Town has to offer.
The Alibi has generously offered to equip their newest members with the best strains, in whatever form they come. In the coming weeks and months, we will be testing and scoring gummies, teas, lollipops, chocolates, soda, wine, vapes, hashish, and every other conceivable way that marijuana can be ingested. Including a monster joint named El Jefe. For science of course.
God help us.
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