Would you care for a hot, moist towel? That was the first option guests were asked to wrestle with as they attended the soft opening of Papa and Barkley Social, the chic, new-concept cannabis consumption lounge, dispensary and spa located next to Papa and Barkley’s manufacturing facility on Broadway in the space formerly occupied by the garden shop of Eureka’s defunct Kmart. You, the loyal Forbes reader that you are, may have read about them recently.

Don’t feel bad you missed out. The 4/20 event was invite-only and, as such, was attended mainly by city officials, business leaders and various other local mover/shaker types. There was excitement in the air as a few guests noted to LoCO that this was the first real event they’d attended since the onset of the pandemic. For their bravery, they were rewarded with the first dibs on touring the new fancy facilities. For the general public, you’ll need to wait until May 6 to scope the scene.

LoCO was on hand for Tuesday’s soft launch and snapped a few photos we hope will help illustrate some of what Papa and Barkley Social has to offer the emerging upscale weed consumer. Here’s what we saw.

Papa and Barkley Social is a collaborative effort from the minds behind local cannabis manufacturing business Papa and Barkley and the Humboldt Bay Social Club. Their dispensary offers P&B products as well as offerings from a trio of local woman-owned farms.

Get “activated”: Massage therapist Nicole Fryer and her team will be offering indoor THC- and CBD-infused lotion massages to soothe your senses

“Smoking Section”: Guests chill in the consumption lounge — which is absolutely located more-than-30 feet from any entrance into the main building — where you’ll soon be able to enjoy a preroll or an edible 

You may experience munchies. Chef Pawel Gago — known to locals for his Pizza Gago venture — will help you with that at his Pig & Leaf Cafe. On opening night, though, he stuck to pizza.

Papa and Barkley Social co-founder Jon O’Connor and the evening’s non-alcoholic beverages bartender Loren MacLaren convene behind the bar

A potential consumer checks out the booth for DewPoint, one of the farms whose products are available at Papa and Barkley Social

Guy Rocourt, Papa and Barkley Chief Product Officer kicked off the speeches: “As we all pull together for the normalization of cannabis, the sky is the limit. And I think the things in the traditional market that kept us tightly knit are the things we still need to honor. That’s how we win. Together we rise.”

Adam Grossman, Papa and Barkley Founder: “We’re in the epicenter of this world and we’re representing cannabis through our products that we do our best to make life-changing. All of that magic is fueled by the plant that grows naturally here and the people who care for it, who share our values around sustainability and this planet that we inhabit.”

Often the wielder of comically giant scissors, Eureka Chamber of Commerce CEO Donna Wright was on hand to make sure a ribbon was properly cut

And so it was. Linda Wise, Eureka Chamber of Commerce, Guy Rocourt, Adam Grossman, Papa & Barkley, Miles Slattery, Eureka City Manager, and Donna Wright make it official. More opening ceremony speech highlights can be viewed in the clip below.