NYC-based dab bar Stay Dosed, led by Jezebel “Jdosed” Lopez, is a local staple at many of the headiest and hashiest events in the city. She’s known for combining her love of sharing concentrates with education and a welcoming environment for both newcomers and connoisseurs alike. ADHDDEAD sat down with her to chat about her businesses and what it takes to help get the crowds lifted at Cannabis events.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. How do you describe your brand, and when did you first dream up the concept for Stay Dosed?
I would describe my brand as a service that aims to make the consumption of Cannabis concentrates accessible, educative and engaging. It’s a ‘for-higher’ mobile dab bar service that focuses on providing a high-quality experience for the consumer. The concept arose around 2019 through some homies and their perception of how I would set up dabs for myself. They were intrigued by the extensive cleaning process and the way I would temp each dab and were the ones that gave me my first opportunities at their events. I loved the thrill and excitement I would get from sharing this passion for quality concentrate consumption with people that I started actively seeking more opportunities to join events in the community and collaborations with processors and concentrate brands. From then on, the intention has never changed: to provide the same great experience I would want for myself.
How do you curate what’s served at a Stay Dosed dab bar, and what flavors or effects are you most excited to share with your guests right now?
I’m a big supporter of the New York legacy market, so my intention has been to highlight brands operating out of my home state and show love to the people that have been putting in the work. Whenever I have the chance to showcase some NY-sourced terps, it truly fills me with gratitude and excitement. To share something with people that was grown and processed locally makes me appreciate the work on a passionate level. Of course, I don’t always get to work with local brands, but I’ve also been fortunate enough to have showcased some out-of-state brands with some undoubtedly quality terps. Heavy shout out to all the brands that have been down to work with the Stay Dosed dab bar; it’s always a true pleasure to showcase some good terps. As for the flavor profile, I personally am a gas and funk lover but always seek to offer a variety and get excited to share clean and tasty terps, no matter what kind. I enjoy engaging with each individual, finding which flavor and/or effect they think would make their experience the most enjoyable.
A great dab sesh requires a great setting. How do you craft an environment that makes people feel comfortable experimenting, learning and connecting at your dab bar?
Pretty lights! (Laughs.) No but seriously, what stoner doesn’t like pretty lights? I like to say, when you see the bright, neon purple moon, you know you found me. I have put a lot of time and effort into making my station presentable, cohesive and welcoming. People seem to like the purple theme; as their eyes wander the table, they start to notice almost every accessory, tool and component on the table is predominantly purple, and the smile on their face visibly grows. I like to do event-specific light box signs that display a relevant message and do a good photo op for people who like to capture content. It has become a fun challenge to think of something new and witty each time. I also usually have a visual menu on a screen so people know what’s available for sampling, strain genetics, the brand(s) powering the terps and any other relevant details that assist in the experience. Being educated on what I’m consuming is important to me, so I want to reflect that in my displays.
One of the most important aspects to me, however, is cleanliness. I prep the rigs and the quartz before every event and try to maintain my pieces looking like new. Using distilled water in the rigs and alcohol pads to wipe off the rig mouthpieces and caps/marbles after every single dab is a non-negotiable, and I maintain a clean station by using mini trash cans. I also try to change out the water of the rigs every hour for high-volume events to maintain freshness. When possible, I try to use one rig per strain to avoid terps combining in the rig water. I have an extensive process for cleaning the quartz after each dab, and while that may mean it takes some time to prep each dab, the intention is always to provide the cleanest and tastiest dab achievable.
New York’s Cannabis scene is evolving fast; how do you see Stay Dosed fitting into that bigger cultural shift, and what role do you want to play in shaping the city’s relationship with Cannabis?
I’m here to disrupt the stigma. I will continue to push towards more education on concentrates and concentrate consumption in all avenues that I can and aspire to work with other people with aligned goals and in settings where it’s not available yet. My long-term goals are to get more hands-on in the lab and/or processing setting. I am always looking for ways to continue my education with the subject as it’s ever evolving and the information to be learned continuously grows.
NYC has always been a melting pot of flavors, cultures and perspectives. In what ways do you see your dab bar reflecting that diversity, whether through the people who come in, the events you host or the concentrates you serve?
I love to have rotating brands/concentrates at the dab bar. You’ll rarely see the same thing twice. I’ve showcased terps from all across the state and country and always aim to have different terp profiles available. I’ve had the opportunity to set up the dab bar at all the boroughs, finding myself at legacy events, private events/dinners, music events, awards shows, dispensaries — wherever the terps get called. Through the dab bar, I’ve been able to engage with all kinds of different people from different places, and the interactions are always different but truly almost pleasant, leaving me elated. That’s one of the best parts of being behind the bar — meeting so many kinds of people and having a shared experience with them.
Running a dab bar seems like equal part connoisseurship and community-building. How do you balance educating newcomers on the art of dabbing with catering to seasoned enthusiasts who know exactly what they’re after?
When someone comes up to the dab bar, I first walk them through the terps available and try to get a sense of what kind of flavor profile or effect they’re after. They’re always allowed to smell what’s available, and I have coffee grounds for people to cleanse their nose palates. Interacting with what you’re going to consume is important and can create a safer relationship with the experience and product. I then get an understanding of where their consumption level is at. Their honesty helps me curate the best experience for them. I have people who come up and want a soul-crushing dab, and I get that! Let’s get some dab sweats going. On the other side, I’ve been grateful enough to have walked many people through their first-ever dab or a redemption dab after they had a prior negative experience. It’s something that can be scary for many and to be given the chance to dissipate that fear and stigma is pretty rad for me.
Looking ahead, what’s your vision for Stay Dosed? Are there certain collaborations, product lines or experiences on your wishlist that might help push the boundaries of what a dab bar can be in New York City and beyond?
I’d love to continue to work with legacy NY brands, and as they start to emerge into the legal market, I hope to continue to do so as well. I also seek to do more educational events/workshops with interested brands/stores as well as dinner collaborations and flavor-terp pairings. I find myself imagining the dab bar in places where you would normally find a ‘regular bar,’ though I know that is a way to go. I would like to participate in weddings and similar events, which seems more attainable. I’m passionate about sharing this experience with others and will continue to show up however I can.
