Yo, peep this, right? Entertainment hosts in Las Vegas are peepin’ a major drop in Gen Z (them born between 1997-2012) throwin’ back the alcohol. Coupled with a spike in younger cats puffin’ that herb, this shift could mean big things for consumption lounges.
Check it, my man Patrick Trout, reppin’ Pulsar Presents outta Vegas, been in the game promotin’ local music for 20 years. Trout recently chopped it up with Las Vegas Weekly ’bout how Gen Z ain’t sippin’ on that booze like they used to. “I been seein’ this since the shutdown ended, but especially this last year,” said Trout. “I’m seein’ a big increase in folks not drinkin’ at shows or stickin’ to the non-alcoholic stuff, but at the same time, they wanna light up more. It’s a straight up shift in the culture and generation.”
Trout’s vibe is also backed up by a 2023 Billboard article, which talked ’bout how alcohol sales took a hit when businesses reopened post-pandemic. One club manager in Tucson said alcohol sales plummeted by 25% at shows caterin’ to Gen Z. Some researchers think it’s ’cause people pre-game before hittin’ the bar or club to save some cash. Venue owners tryna switch gears to appeal to the Gen Z crowd by addin’ more non-alcoholic options. In 2019, Global Market was projectin’ that the non-alcoholic industry could be worth $30 billion by next year.
Psychiatrist Akhil Anand, MD, told Cleveland Clinic that Gen Z ain’t down with drinkin’ as much ’cause they more aware of mental health now. “Alcohol ain’t ever gonna solve your problems,” said Anand. “Gen Z get that and they headin’ in a different direction.”
A New Frontier Data report from 2022 shows that 69% of folks between 18-24 prefer cannabis over alcohol. This preference is seen across all age groups too.
Christopher LaPorte, runnin’ things at Reset in Vegas, told Las Vegas Weekly that cannabis is takin’ over from alcohol. “Everybody got a bad pot brownie story but everyone also got them tequila nightmares,” said LaPorte. “Folks are more educated now ’cause cannabis more out in the open. More cool cats are honest ’bout their weed habits.”
The first consumption lounge in Nevada, Smoke and Mirrors owned by Thrive Cannabis, opened up in late February. LaPorte helped put together this spot that’s inspired by listenin’ cafes in Japan and NY that only serve non-alcoholic drinks. “We saw this trend poppin’ off three years ago ’bout non-alcoholic spirits and bars dedicated to that,” said LaPorte. “It wasn’t just for folks tryna stay sober. We thought this could be somethin’. We peeped these products like Lyre’s and Seedlip…they was bubblin’. How can we blend this into a cannabis lounge?”
That thought led to Smoke and Mirrors servin’ up non-alcoholic, THC-infused drinks to attract a new crowd to the cannabis scene.
Las Vegas Weekly got a tour of Planet 13’s new cannabis lounge called Dazed!, shown off by Frankie Anobile, an old-school DJ now workin’ as Planet 13’s entertainment director. He don’t think “bong service” gonna replace “bottle service” but offerin’ both is where it’s at.
Dazed! opened April 5 and Planet 13 plannin’ on buildin’ a three-story nightclub just for alcohol drinkers sometime in 2025.
Nevada law says cannabis biz can’t sell alcohol and vice versa but Planet 13 got plans for a nightclub next door so folks can keep partying after the cannabis lounge closes. “You can drink all night long at the club; you can’t smoke all night long,” said Anobile. “It’s a whole different vibe from what they want musically to how long they stay out.”
Trout hyped to see how consumption lounges shake up the music scene. “I’m curious to see with the pot lounges doin’ live music what kinda genres they bring in,” said Trout. “There’s some metal subgenres like doom and stoner rock where I think havin’ a spot where you can smoke and catch tunes would be dope.”
According to the Nevada Independent, there are 38 more cannabis consumption lounge license holders grindin’ away on their spots at different stages.
In short, Gen Z ain’t so much about that alcohol life no more – they lean more towards that herb and non-alcoholic drinks now. And let me tell ya, Vegas is changin’ up its entertainment scene real quick to keep up with these new vibes. Keep your eyes peeled for what comes next!