Weed Party @ is a column by Michelle Lhooq and Lindsay MaHarry, two self-described “weed party girls.” The goal of the column is simple: Determine whether the party was cool. On the weekend of March 30, 2019, Lindsay went to two high tea events celebrating women in weed and the springing of Los Angeles.
The ever-blooming community of Los Angeles women in weed saw the end of Women’s Month meet the coming of spring with two exquisitely executed high tea events. Whether enjoying joints and massages at “Oncé: International High Tea,” a casual Silver Lake soiree benefiting the Downtown Women’s Center by High End Creatives and One Tea, or getting giggly in Mad Hatter attire at the White Rabbit High Tea event (celebrating the launch of Original Pot Co.) on the roof of West Hollywood hotspot Petit Ermitage, it was a flower-filled weekend celebrating warm weather and strong women with lots of THC.
It was the first hot weekend of spring, marking the end of an excruciatingly long and wet winter in L.A.. Four girlfriends were staying with me — my own little celebration of Women’s Month — all writers and artists from the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara areas, and they were curious to check out what the L.A. weed party scene was all about.
Oncé: International High Tea
The modern Silver Lake home that hosted the Oncé: International High Tea was white and clean, its terraced backyard stretching up a green hill in layers. We filed up the stairs and were greeted by cups of unmedicated One Tea, a decadent charcuterie spread, and Valery Sepulveda, the vibrant head of High End Creatives who was responsible for the event.
(Photo by Lynora Valdez via Instagram)
“The intention with our private high tea event was to close out Women’s Month with an aesthetically elevated celebration for women,” she told me on the patio, shaded beneath a paper parasol. “The name of the event ‘Oncé’ (pronounced öh.n.say) was inspired by my Chilean heritage, as it is the only Latin culture that celebrates high tea in their daily lives for communion, gathering, and sharing. With this particular event, we incorporated several elements related to the well being of women, such as self-care with our masseuse Dimensional Healing and wellness with our artisanal brewed tea and a DIY herbal blend station courtesy of One Tea.”
Between sipping on tea cocktails mixed with Fair Vodka, we enjoyed joints by Humboldt Brothers, an elixir and edible pop-up by Dixie Elixirs and Edibles, and the Elevate Jane head shop, where wild pipes ranged from the glitter-filled to the boob-shaped.
That artisanal brewed tea. (Photo by Lynora Valdez via Instagram)
The ultra-chill event ended up raising $450 for the Downtown Women’s Center, a center in Los Angeles that serves only women to provide safe housing and medical treatment. The event also garnered a number of signatures on clemency petitions for three women incarcerated for cannabis convictions via the support of Can-do Justice through Clemency.
We left that Saturday afternoon inspired by the influential women transforming the weed industry from the often opaque boys club to the female-centric space for activism and inclusion it is becoming today.
Also, as is the sign of any great weed party, the gift bags were lit.
Cheers, bitches. (Photo by Lynora Valdez via Instagram)
White Rabbit High Tea
Sunday morning, however, a hangover had blighted the crew, whittling my four-person girl-power-posse down considerably. By the time we arrived at the swank West Hollywood rooftop of Petit Ermitage for White Rabbit High Tea, an event celebrating the launch of Original Pot Co. cookies, as well as Cypress Cannabis, and Acme Elixirs, only two remained.
And TBH, both of us were pretty hungover.
However, immediately upon arrival, our bleak morning went down the rabbit hole as we were transported to a magical, psychedelic world neither of us were expecting.
Down the rabbit hole we go. (Photo courtesy of White Rabbit High Tea)
The best weed event I’ve been to in months had transformed the roof of Petit Ermitage to a full-on Mad Hatter tea party. Vines twisted around archways framing tables laden with flower arrangements, tea sandwiches, and medicated platters of Original Pot Co.’s potent little treats. Rounds of unmedicated tea were served in fanciful cups as large as a mug or small as a thimble. Ornate vintage hats were passed around, as never-ending courses of treats were served by girls decked in “Alice in Wonderland” regalia.
Guests, almost entirely women working in weed, journalism, or the art worlds, relaxed in the fading Sunday sunlight, enjoying conversation, a view of the Hollywood Hills, and the endless supply of Acme Elixir cartridges, Cypress Cannabis joints, and Original Pot Co. cookies that occupied every imaginable surface.
“What a weed party should be.” — journalist Andrea Domanick (Photo courtesy of White Rabbit High Tea)
“It’s what a weed party should be — designed around the communal and social aspect of cannabis culture instead of forcing a party or concept onto products,” said fellow guest and journalist Andrea Domanick.
Toward the end of the evening, I found myself sharing a joint with Pete Pietrangeli, creator of Acme Elixirs.
“It’s been full circle for me to have such a psychedelic event happen at Petit Ermitage,” he said between exhales of sweet-smelling smoke. “So many of the farmers who risked their lives to preserve the genetics for the Cypress Cannabis strains we’re smoking today have stayed here over the years, way before any of this was possible. For these genetics to still exist on a day where we’re openly consuming them on the roof of a hotel in West Hollywood is just really special.
So many of the farmers who risked their lives to preserve the genetics for the Cypress Cannabis strains we’re smoking today have stayed here over the years, way before any of this was possible. Click To Tweet
Even the handoffs were beautiful. (Photo courtesy of White Rabbit High Tea)
“What else I find truly amazing are the conversations I’ve shared today with some of the most interesting women in the cannabis world. So many have their hands in fascinating things, whether journalists, artists, or businesswomen veering the industry to be more sustainable, even down to the awesome, beautiful ladies pouring my tea. It’s great to see the women directing trends and leading a culture that’s kind of finding itself right now,” he paused, glossy-eyed and stoic, gazing at the opulent hills in the distance.
“There’s just so much we can all learn from each other to propel this industry in the right direction.”
