Lauren Fontein, co-founder and CCO for The Artist Tree, just got back from a scouting trip back East. “We are looking to expand beyond California,” says Fontein. California has been good to The Artist Tree—and vice versa. They now have ten dispensaries and two lounges in California, from Laguna to Fresno. The flagship store in WEHO (The Emerald Village) opened in November of 2019, a three-story glistening retail and event space, art gallery, consumption lounge, and education center, replete with a glassed-in clone nursery. There was nothing like it—and now it’s a destination spot for cannabis lovers.

Cannabis makes concerts, museums, and pretty much everything… more fun,” says Fontein. “The Artist Tree enhances your perception of the arts and changes how you experience cannabis. Art of all kinds and the best cannabis products available are integrated with interactive educational hubs throughout the space.”

When shopping for cannabis, The Artist Tree experience is unlike anything in the city.

ZEN & THE ART OF THE DISPO

Fontein and her partners knew what they wanted. The company was founded on the mission of bringing people together around cannabis and art. A retail shop, gallery, art museum, and hang spot, all-in-one. “We wanted to have a place that really highlighted local artists and gave them a venue for showcasing their work,” says Fontein. “The artists are able to profit off the sales of their work in a way that they might not be able to otherwise. Submit your art on our website,” Fontein encourages.

Since opening they have showcased dozens of artists, including Lana Shmulevich, Hirotaka Suzuki, Viviana Stone, Ziva Barrett, and Steven Fader.

LIGHT UP BEFORE YOUR FLIGHT

With a lot of success under their belt, Fontein and her team embarked on something no one had been able to do: open a consumption lounge that does not live in The Emerald Village. The Artist Tree Hawthorne opened late last year and has become a destination for travelers to and from LAX. “We see a lot of people in the lounge with their luggage,” says Fontein.

The lounge has the ambiance of a sexy restaurant, punctuated by sultry dark wood floors, moody colors, hanging industrial lights, plants, and art. But it’s not just weary travelers looking to chill, smoke a J, rent a gravity bong, and sip on a Mile High Club beverage (THC, pomegranate, agave, lime, bitters, and soda water) or To The Moon (THC, pineapple, orange, coconut, nutmeg, and bitters), many locals hang out. And it’s a place where you can have events. Fontein always envisioned events as being a big part of the lounge space.

“It was important to build a place where people could go to events, whether it was a performance, a work event, or hash flight tasting session,” says Fontein.

SOARING HIGHER

While not all dispensaries are exactly alike, they all have the same ethos: “It’s really important to have natural light,” says Fontein. “The WEHO shop has the soaring floor-to-ceiling windows. And that was really atypical when we opened. A lot of dispensaries still had either blacked out windows or no windows at all!”

They worked with the architectural firm Retail Design Collective, which is known for holistic design and tasteful finishings. They brought in the light birch wood, the metal details, and bespoke built-in shelving. “We loved it because it was modern but not stark,” says Fontein. “And having that open, airy feel of sunlight coming in gives the space a whole different vibe when youʼre shopping.” Not to mention, itʼs irresistible to linger in.

For instance, the Koreatown location, which opened in 2024, brought unique challenges. Nestled in the heart of Koreatown, it’s housed in a very old and historical building with wrought iron beams and a bolted ceiling. “We were then able to put our spin on it but still maintain that kind of historic feel,” says Fontein.

A BIG DEAL

The elevated shopping experience is combined with some of the best deals in town—on the best products. Yes, it’s up to 50% off top brands every day. And the selection is broad and robust: they have the big popular brands, the in-the-know brands, the up-and-coming brands, the OGs, collabs, indoor, outdoor, hash, rosin, edibles, bongs, dab rigs, pet CBD products (dogs welcome!), beverages, salves, creams, topicals, bath bombs, and, of course, you can leave with your very own baby clone plant.

“We wanted the clone nursery to be centrally located,” says Fontein. “A lot of consumers have never seen a cannabis plant in person.”

Upstairs, the breezy flagship consumption lounge is festooned with color-coordinated bookshelves, magazines, tables, and balcony seating, overlooking Santa Monica Boulevard. In the back, there is a long bar where you can sip mocktails and nibble on macarons. You can also rent bongs, dab rigs, and Stündenglass Gravity Infusers.

And if you are into stoned yoga, sound baths, stand-up comedy, open mic nights, or drag brunches, itʼs time to plug in.

GRAND OPENING, NEW YORK, NY

Fontein is heading to Fresno in a few days for the official ribbon cutting for their second dispo in the city. There will be a DJ, photo booth, artworks, and plenty of deals, including a $500 gift card for the first 100 people who enter the store. Like always, the company has spent lavishly on the buildout, including a $20,000 mural.

“We were happy to cover the cost of the murals, which included paying the artist a fair wage for their work,” says Fontein. “We hope these beautiful murals bring joy to every person who drives by them.”

What’s next, I ask.

“It’s looking like New York,” she says. “We will be busy in 2026.” And for partakers everywhere, thatʼs great news.

Rob Hill has written for Ray Gun, Maxim, Playboy, Rolling Stone, LA WEEKLY, Treats!, The Riv, FHM, and mg. He is Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Hiii.

Summer is the time for road trips. That means the top down, hair blowing in the wind, the smell of sea salt, roadside diners, and cannabis. The good news: The Artist Tree has plenty of locations to stop in, buy a pre-roll, chill in the lounge, and check out some cool art. From Laguna to El Sobrante, The Artist Tree has all your cannabis needs covered. You can even call ahead and have your order ready when you arrive. TheArtistTree.com