Pleasure Med founder Brian Robinson is putting it all on the line with a bold vision of implementing what was a dream for legal Cannabis adventurers years ago, but, surprisingly, has been slow to get off the ground: consumption lounges. But this one is different — a full-hospitality food-and-drink menu combined with open consumption — a real reason to leave the suburbs for the glamour of West Hollywood and light up with joy (and weed).
This gentleman has had his finger on the pulse of Hollywood for decades as the owner of the iconic sex shop Pleasure Chest, which he took over from his uncle. His vision, since relocating the business to Santa Monica Boulevard, was to acquire the building across the parking lot and construct what is now known as Pleasure Island, a Cannabis complex that appeals to the flavor lover’s seductive side, where all the accouterments of luxury are offered with affordability.
Robinson, a former plant decorator for movie and television show sets, could be considered the de facto LGBTQ+ prince of West Hollywood and a nouveau innovator of an emerging lifestyle option. Not by reinventing the bar scene cliché, but by simply improving it by inviting Cannabis to the table.
“If you’re going to do it, do it right,” Robinson says. And the man stands by that mantra, resolute in his mission, which is why you may see him running plates and drinks to tables when the elegant rooms of Irie, the upstairs restaurant, and Hind, the full bar patio in the rear, are bustling — both of which surround Pleasure Med Retail shop.
In 20 years, you may remember this man as the visionary who implemented the first legal world-class dining experience. But for now, you’ll find a humble human who implicitly understands that the destination is, indeed, the journey.
