An innovative new lounge has opened in Fort Worth — the first-of-its-kind in DFW: Called Emerald City Dispensary + Lounge, it's a hemp dispensary and consumption lounge in Panther Island’s urban district at 937 Woodward St., coincidentally across the street from a police station where it's serving CBD-infused products and various forms of Delta-8 and Delta-9 — like a cigar lounge for cannabis enthusiasts.

Owner Candice Stinnett is a Fort Worth cannabis pioneer. She first opened a storefront called Emerald Organics in 2019, following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill by the FDA, which cleared the way for selling CBD and hemp products with 0.3 percent of THC nationally.

Now she is on the forefront of a rising new trend of "consumption lounges" — similar to a bar/pub that serves those 21 and older, where customers can order a legal smokeable THCa flower, and THC & CBD canna-cocktails.

Before opening, she visited cannabis lounges on the West Coast to help shape her vision for the space and allow her to best pioneer the business in her hometown Fort Worth.

Emerald City is a Millennial- and Alice in Wonderland-inspired fever dream with fake plants in green and pink hanging from the walls, overstuffed Victorian-style couches, oversized windows that let sunlight stream in, and neon signs spouting weed-themed quotes from musicians like Mac Miller and Lil’ Wayne.

The menu includes smokeable “flower”-like cannabis, pre-rolled joints, and CBD- and THC-infused drinks. There's also a fun option to grind and roll it yourself. You get a grinder, papers, a pack of oversized matches, and a container of cannabis in a sealed and labeled package.

If you order an ounce and don't smoke it all, the lounge is also a to-go dispensary, so you can take it with you, along with a note about its origins and contents, should the police stop you, all of which highlights its legality.

The staff includes servers called “budtenders” and “flight attendants,” who act as hemp sommeliers, guiding customers through ordering. At the door, a host checks customers in, requiring their ID to ensure they are over 21, and asking them to sign a waiver. Multiple security guards are also present, not just late at night, to ensure the space stays safe.

The space also has an outdoor patio, gaming console, and snacks behind the bar that are typical food for the munchies — chips, nuts, candy, and baked goods.

One thing Emerald City does not serve is alcohol. Stinnett says that when the two are mixed, it can lead to an overwhelming and unpleasant experience.

"THC and alcohol both cause intoxication, and that can be a lot," she says. However, the bar will be adding CBD- and THC-infused drinks to its offerings soon, with a menu developed by Brian Conway of San Antonio-based Powered by Plants.

One of her goals is to normalize the use of cannabis, and she's found that creating a community helps lessen the stigma. She hosts events such as a weekly ladies’ night, live music on weekends, and comedy shows hosts — putting it in a mainstream and social setting.

“It helps us to evolve the cannabis industry, to move beyond the shadows and into a professional, regulated environment," she says.

But bottom line, we're all here to have fun.

"Cannabis heightens your senses,” Stinnett says. “That encourages conversation, laughter, and new connections. Creating those experiences is what Emerald City Lounge is all about."