Getting baked inside New Jersey’s flashy new cannabis lounges

It looked like any other afternoon in an Atlantic City bar: a Europa League match played on giant LED screens, friends crowded onto barstools, and clouds hung in the air. Only, it wasn’t cigarette smoke swirling above the crowd. It was weed — thick puffs from glass bongs, dab rigs, and pre-rolled joints.

In fact, this wasn’t a bar at all. It was SunnyTien, one of the East Coast’s first legal cannabis lounges. It’s the kind of place where adults can buy marijuana and light up inside — surrounded by couches, gleaming glassware, and the relief of knowing their after-work smoke session is now totally legal.

“I’m going to smoke weed regardless, quite frankly,” said Frank Soto, at High Rollers, another Atlantic City cannabis spot. “But having a space like a bar setting where you can come to an area with like-minded people, talk different strains, and meet others, that’s something that was sorely missing.”

Smoking in public is banned in New Jersey, so lounges are the first time cannabis consumers can legally toke up outside their homes.

So far, three lounges have opened — two in Atlantic City and one just across the river in Merchantville, Camden County. The vibes range from “your best friend’s finished basement” to “upscale nightclub,” depending where you go.

High Rollers, tucked inside the Claridge Hotel, is going for full Vegas-on-the-Jersey-Shore glam. Think chandeliers, a dispensary on a former casino floor, and a nightclub-lit lounge upstairs. Down the block, SunnyTien leans into the “everyone knows your name” vibe, with bar seating, couches, and TVs tuned to the game — like your favorite corner pub, but cozier (and smokier).

Both spots stock everything from rolling papers and bowls to $500 high-tech vaporizers and tricked-out bongs most smokers only dream about. (What you won’t find: alcohol or tobacco.)

“I’ve tried the rotating bong,” Kira Russell said of the Stüdenglass “gravity bong” at High Rollers. “It’s almost like a hookah, but the water pressure is pulling the smoke for you — it’s a unique experience.”

Closer to Philly, Gynsyng in Merchantville trades chandeliers for PS3 and Nintendo Switch setups — complete with “Super Hash Bros.” tournaments. The lounge has dorm-room energy, stocked with board games and classic glass bongs. No fancy $500 rigs here, but they’re betting that the low-key vibe is what many will prefer.

Food is part of the equation too. Lounges can’t run kitchens, so guests are encouraged to BYO snacks or order delivery from nearby restaurants. All three lounges make it easier by partnering with local restaurants to deliver food faster. However, no alcohol or tobacco are allowed inside weed lounges.

For fans and operators alike, the lounges aren’t just a place to smoke — they’re a chance to normalize cannabis culture in spaces that look and feel familiar.

“All of these crazy propaganda stories that we’ve heard of, all of the worst is not coming to fruition. These are places where we can demonstrate that,” Soto said.