Introduction

In the beautifully chill Soi’s of Sathorn lies this exquisite dispensary run by a pair of true authentic cannabis culture pioneers. From France, Erwan and Matthew have created an extremely welcoming yet also lively atmosphere. You are warmly greeted and met with a view of a pleasant, colourful mural across the whole back wall, reminiscent of classic street art with a playful, bright, and colourful twist. There is also a collection of T-shirts with distinct connections to street culture, as well as a wide range of beautiful cultivars on display all along the mural wall.

Weed Street has a very bright and cheery shop front in daylight and acts as a groovy display of style at night time. There are some very comfy places to relax downstairs but there is a lovely private lounge on the third floor fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, including a Gravity Bong and a Volcano for your freshest smoking experience. You can make use of the state-of-the-art sound system, and you can even karaoke if you feel inspired. There is also a terrace in development attached to the lounge. 

Erwan and Matt are highly professional in every aspect of their conduct. Their standard of hospitality is like a concierge at a luxury resort, except the resort has a French street art and culture vibe mixed with a Thai sense of calm.

Friendliness in the retail experience is a big part of destigmatisation and Weed Street executes it perfectly. In the cannabis industry, especially the retail side, an unfriendly experience can literally be bad for your health by, for example, triggering anxiety. Upholding the safest, most open, and most accommodating energy is clearly very important to Weed Street. The comforting nuances that being in their shop brings are actually quite reminiscent of a prohibition-era private vendor in Europe or the UK. It is a peaceful house with lots of interesting things to look at while you self-medicate or chill out to great music and the opportunity to lose yourself on a couch. There is a strong sense of safety and trust when you are there and you feel like all your needs will be met.

The App

Weed Street is not only leading the way with cannabis hospitality, they also has a potentilly huge tech move up thier sleeve. In what could be described as a revolutionary development, They developed a trading app for the cannabis cultivars that they stock. He says, “Simply put, each time a variety is purchased, its price increases based on the remaining stock, and the prices of other varieties decrease.” Working very similarly to other trading apps, all we are waiting for is approval from Apple.

You can buy in-store as normal, or you can “invest” in any amount of flowers, and it will be stored for you to collect at your convenience. This has very interesting implications because it gamifies and democratises Weed Street’s flower sales. Both these things are very popular at the moment for multiple demographics. The concept is fairly niche, and new apps do need to be special, and I think this one might me.  

“Weed Street”, a play on “Wall Street” offers a low-risk, exciting, and alternative version of trading. Something that could well be enticing for many people who may have been interested in the buzz but didn’t have the time or energy to dive in. There is a 1000 thb per month subscription fee that comes with two free grams of weed and 5% off all in-app purchases. So already a great deal. 

Standing out with its unique cultivar stock market. It is a genius and entertaining way for consumers to be directly involved in the ever-changing cannabis market. Some parts of post-prohibition retail are still uncertain as regulation is still not concrete. From a certain point of view, this is a humorous and practical way of dealing with a fluid and dynamic market. Given the current tech scene, this could really take off as it combines user-generated content, gamified business models, and trading dynamics all in a system that looks really fun to use. 

Strains

Weed Street doesn’t fault the quality of its flowers either. There is some fresh Cali genetics, like Biscotti, Lemonade, and Gold Rose Runtz.

Biscotti is a very relaxing, warm, and fuzzy indica with a THC content of 21%. It tastes sweet like freshly baked cookies with aromas of vanilla and honey in there. It’s a strain that is great for anxiety and stress, so it can help people open up and be more friendly. It’s a cross between Gelato 25 and Sour Florida OG. 

Lemonade is a Sativa at 21% THC and is a cross between Lemon Og and Gorilla Haze. It has a sweet citrusy flavour with a menthol herbal freshness lifting the dish. It can create an energetic and giggly atmosphere and is also good for relaxed focus depending on your intentions for consumption. Lemonade is said to be particularly good for pain reduction and even a hangover cure as well as helping with anxiety and fatigue. 

Gold Rose Runtz is quite a strong, well-loved hybrid with a THC content of 32%. It can give you a tingly euphoric feeling and promote openness and creativity. There is a distinct floral, citrus, and creamy taste to create a lovely, varied, and fresh flavour. It can be a very good strain for munchies as well as being good for anxiety and headaches… 

Weed Street and Global Cannabis Culture

Like many cannabis companies, the Weed Street founders come from a prohibited cannabis culture. This story is one that many people in the Cannabis industry have a very deep connection with. They had to live their lives feeling judged, feeling marginalised, and at risk of prosecution. All the while managing to maintain a culture of dignity and peace despite the unfortunate socially destabilising effect that prohibition has on many parts of society. 

Yet cannabis culture remains rich and varied despite all the challenges. The culture promotes sharing and enjoying the moment, whether it be admiring music, art, or simply each other company. These aspects of ordinary cannabis use had been clouded by prohibition, and it’s inspiring to see another confident example of ordinary people’s cannabis culture set free with Weed Street. 

The Mural and the T-shirts for sale are by the French artist Lounys, a painter as well as a dancer and collaborator. His art adds a calm level of sophistication to the shop’s feel.

Investing in art for the weed scene is a great service to the plant because these things have always been connected, not to mention the fact that it encourages return customers. 

France is the highest consumer of weed in Europe, even higher than in the Netherlands, where personal use is permitted. This allows the speculation that it is the stigma itself that creates pressure and judgement on people thus increasing the need for self medication. This is something that fuels Weed Street’s passion for destigmatisation. 

Weed Street and Collaboration

Weed Street understands the fruitful potential of collaboration very well. They collaborate with a range of individuals and businesses to create the perfect integrated cannabis experience that has been hidden from society and stigmatised for the longest time. Collaboration in itself is an advocation for cannabis culture; sharing is caring. Music and art have been an intrinsic part of cannabis culture in the same way that cannabis, despite prohibition, has always been an integral part of hip-hop and reggae culture since its inception. Art has been the peoples’ way into culture and deeper meaning for as long as we can remember. Strengthening and enriching cannabis culture by creating the environment for it to thrive is a beautiful service to the plant.

Bamboo Esport

To strengthen and modernise the cannabis industry and culture, Weed Street is partnered with Bamboo Esport Center, who have a venue on the second floor of the building. The stations are fitted with PS5’s, Nintendo Switches and virtual reality headsets. People of all ages can come to a game and relax. Any adults wishing to enhance their cannabis experience after consuming in the private lounge are warmly invited as cannabis customers receive special privileges at Bamboo. 

Esports is an emerging market, particularly in Asia. Modern cannabis culture now includes a lot of gamers, as many say it can improve their immersion and concentration on the game as well as cannabis adding to social cohesion of the group. Combining aspects of culture and industry that aren’t totally associated with cannabis is a big part of Weed Street’s views on normalisation of cannabis culture. It can be integrated into society in many fruitful ways if we all play our part in creating it like that. 

Digestables

French producer Clement Niel provides delicious gummies and beverages to accompany your experience. Niel provides to many dispensaries in Thailand and his products receive great reviews. The gummies are medium strength and are fruit flavoured with lovely hints of cannabis coming through in the taste. There is also THC syrup which is designed to be mixed with for example soda water to give the consumer a drink that can be a great substitute for alcohol. It is also great for sharing as each bottle contains multiple servings so can accommodate multiple people with varying tolerances.

Conclusion

Weed Street has hit the ground running with its devotion to cannabis culture and its impressive innovative tech. The feel and atmosphere of their dispensary are top of the range, which, combined with the very chill streets of Sathorn, creates a super chill atmosphere. The collaborations with artists and producers make the space colourful and alive. There are even plans to do different things with the space to create a community hub. Bamboo Esports is a great community hub already for a separate growing industry, helping destigmatisation through normalisation. 

The fresh tech potentially puts Weed Street ahead in a game of their making. Only time will tell what will come but I’m excited. Erwan and Mateiu are passionate individuals who are dedicated to enjoying life and making sure everyone else does, too. It is very much worth your time to go and chill at Weed Street and I would look out for the app to drop!

Additional Resources

Find Weed Street a little bit south of the Silom BTS Saint Louis station in Sathorn district. Look out for fresh new content and updates @Weedstreet.bkk on Instagram! Or you can go on weed-street.com to find out about all the other cultivars in stock, for more information on the app and any updated info on what the new promising business has to offer.