Courtesy of Winona Grey.
- The events company Cloth & Flame has begun staging cannabis-infused dinners.
- Jamie Killin, a journalist, was intrigued despite having little experience using the drug.
- "I had high expectations – especially for an event that retails at $195 per person," Killin said.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
I don't think I could roll a joint if my life depended on it, and the last time I smoked marijuana was years ago when I split a joint among friends in Amsterdam.
But I've always been up for a new experience – whether that was trying cannabis with my high-school friends (and subsequently making myself sick) or purchasing a tin of gummies when marijuana was legalized where I live in Phoenix at the end of last year.
To give you an idea of my marijuana use, that tin of gummies lasted more than six months in my cabinet.
Despite my general naivete, when I heard about Cloth & Flame's new cannabis dinners, I was intrigued. A great meal and an Instagram-worthy tablescape go a long way with me, so I was game.
Cloth & Flame has facilitated high-end events for clients including Bentley, Chanel, and Google. I had high expectations – especially for an event that retails at $195 per person – but this meal exceeded them.
My boyfriend and I traveled about two hours north of my home to the mystical red-rock spiritual wonderland of Sedona and checked into a hotel. After a short drive in a charter bus, my fellow event goers and I were in a mountain-surrounded patch of forest by a stone-lined creek.
The evening started with a welcome mocktail, a cruise around the merch table, time to listen to a band performance - and a joint by the "canna-cabin."
Courtesy of Winona Grey
Attendees were offered a joint donated by Copperstate Farms, with three options for strength. My boyfriend - who is marijuana-shy and tried to get out of this adventure multiple times - opted for the lightest option with me.
Before dinner, guests were given time to enjoy the sunset, smoke, lounge in a hammock, and, in my case, make a lot of Instagram stories.
The menu was a multicourse meal featuring fried chicken oysters on a mesquite waffle, poached pears on a bed of feta cheese, achiote-crusted pork, and brown-butter churros. To say the food was incredible would be an understatement.
The entire meal contained about 12 micrograms of THC - the primary component of cannabis that gets you high - and about six micrograms of CBD. Even as someone who wasn't taking more than 5 micrograms of THC gummies a night, I knew this wasn't a lot.
Before each course, our server asked if we wanted a "dosed" or "non-dosed" dish. I opted for dosed every time. My boyfriend, who did indulge in a couple puffs of our joint, did the opposite.
The night ended with craft seasonal lattes by the fire, stargazing, sound healing, and lounging around the various seating areas set up around the venue.
I can't say I've been converted into a weed smoker - most of my high didn't kick in until I was back in my hotel room - but I did appreciate the slow-paced high, dreamy atmosphere, incredible scenery, and, of course, the food.
Cloth & Flame and Copperstate Farms donated a portion of the proceeds from the event to the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit that focuses on helping those incarcerated for cannabis-related charges, a sobering reminder of how the drug hasn't always been an accepted pastime.
This helped me decide to opt for merch, which also benefited the cause.
Between all the good vibes, activities, and a light marijuana buzz, I hardly even missed my usual glass of wine.