We toured the world’s largest cannabis dispensary. Here’s what we found.
An entire planet devoted to luxury cannabis experience: That’s the idea behind Planet 13, a 110,000-square-foot warehouse that will soon become a dedicated cannabis complex. During the recent MJBIZCON conference in Las Vegas, we toured the mega-complex.
Planet 13 Holdings Inc., along with cannabis traceability software maker BioTrackTHC, opened the tour to a wide variety of cannabis industry and media members. Planet 13’s attorney Leighton Koehler played tour guide. Asked about the company’s goals, he provided three simple words.
“More, bigger, and better,” Koehler said triumphantly.
Planet 13 is the largest recreational cannabis dispensary in the world. Currently operating out of only 40,000-square-feet of the 1110,000 square foot complex, the company has glitzy plans for the remaining square footage. Phase Two will include a coffee shop, and an un-infused product tasting lounge, where people can sample edible products before purchasing the infused versions. The tasting lounge would be aimed at cannabis infused drinks like Two Roots Brewing products. Koehler mentioned a possible partnership with Mothership Coffee, but nothing has yet been finalized.
Ten thousand square feet of the complex will be a state-approved production facility. It will have a view of the showroom floor. There are also plans for a lounge experience, on par with the VIP nightclub and casino experiences that people seek out in Las Vegas.
In typical Vegas fashion, Planet 13 features an array of LED visual displays. An 18-foot tall fountain uses lights and fog to create a stunning scene. (With over 60,000 hotel rooms overlooking the complex, it’s sure to have a good audience.) On the roof, visitors can control the lighting on 15-foot-tall LED lotus flowers.
Entering the complex, the visual entertainment continues. Below your feet, an LED floor changes colors. The floorboards feature different visual displays, including a fish-filled koi pond. On the retail floor, colored orbs, attached to drones, float above customers. Meanwhile, 3D displays are projected on the ceiling. Interactive laser graffiti allows guests to leave their own artistic touch on the complex.
Nevada allows cannabis brands to vertically integrate, meaning they can control the production, distribution, and retail sectors under the same brand. Planet 13 stocks their shelves with their in-house brand as well as another 28 vendors. You can choose from among 50 cannabis strains, including Chloe, Tangilope, Truth Serum, and Ultra Violence. They also carry an array of drinks, edibles, concentrates, and vapes.
Planet 13’s grand opening coincided with BioTrackTHC’s launch of their second-generation traceability software. BioTrackTHC’s CEO Patrick Vo said he was “proud to be partnered with Planet 13 for a flawless launch.”
Many of the flower displays contain terpene profiles, adding a layer of cannabis science education to the basic retail experience. This high-class retail experience has prices to match, with most flower prices ranging from $15-$20 a gram, concentrates averaging about $50 per gram and vape carts averaging around $60 a pop. 3D protection technology and a sensory station are in the works to add to the sales floor experience.
Planet 13 Holdings Inc. is researching other state markets, too, Koehler said. When other states decide to legalize recreational cannabis, they hope to open another facility somewhere else.
“New York is just beautiful,” Koehler said.