Do you remember how, when you first arrived in Los Angeles, every single experience was brand new and achingly exciting? Whether it was spotting celebrities, visiting the beach or something as mundane as pulling onto the freeway for the first time, everything felt like a full-color adventure.
Then, after a few years, something happens. Maybe it’s the routine exposure to so much fun stuff to do or the distractions of everyday life. Whatever the reason, our senses dull, our appetite for adventure dampens, and we end up gliding through L.A. on autopilot, looking at the city every single day but somehow no longer seeing it.
One way to see SoCal through new eyes — and appreciate it anew — would be to move away for a length of time (one full winter anywhere else ought to do the trick) and then move back. But if you’re looking for a quicker (and, let’s face it, far less expensive) option, consider visiting some of the places that make the Southland so special after you’ve consumed a little bit of cannabis. I recently did just that, popping by some of the places I’ve been dozens of times before (and some new ones that came highly recommended) in a slightly enhanced frame of mind. Some of the most memorable of them are included here.
As far as what kind of cannabis is best suited to these eye-opening adventures, that’s a personal choice (since the main psychoactive ingredient, THC, can affect different people differently), but because it’s not legal to consume in public, this would be the perfect time to explore the world of cannabis-infused edibles or potables, both of which have the benefit of a slower onset and longer-lasting effect.
Before you head out there to see — and feel — L.A. in a whole new way, there are two important things to remember. First, recreational cannabis is legal in California only for those 21 or older. Second, do not, under any circumstances, get behind the wheel of a car — or attempt to operate anything more complicated than a TV remote, really — under the influence of cannabis. Therefore, these adventures should only be embarked on with the aid of a designated driver or a rideshare service.
