The marijuana dispensary ShowGrow filled three large boxes with donated school supplies and toys at its Cozy Sesh 8 event on Saturday, Dec. 7.
This is the third year ShowGrow has held a toy drive, but the first year the business combined the charity event with one of its Cozy Sesh concerts. ShowGrow told the Signal Tribune in a social media message that it would most likely give the toys and school supplies to Mercy House to be distributed, but as of press time this has not been confirmed.
Everyone who made a donation on Saturday was given two free tacos courtesy of the Long Beach food truck Bomb Azz Tacos.
Before Cozy Sesh 8, ShowGrow held a vote on its social media to find its customers’ favorite Long Beach taco truck, and Bomb Azz Tacos won with over 100 votes, according to ShowGrow.
A card writing station was also set up inside of Analog Records, adjacent to ShowGrow, so that people could make cards to accompany their gifts to the children.
There were DJ booths inside Analog Records and on the lot next to the store, which provided music throughout the event. Participating DJs included members of the recently formed Long Beach DJ collective, Secret Service.
“We’re trying to build up community,” Secret Service member Katrina Fuller, who goes by the stage name DJ KA3NA, told the Signal Tribune. “People who like Disco Funk House music. And so we throw monthly events and guest DJ other events. We’re trying to build up for this city. We’re trying to reach out to local artists as well and then collaborate, and make it like a little family in our city.”
The feature performer of the night was George Townsend, who is part of the English DJ duo Bondax along with Adam Kaye. Bondax was originally scheduled to perform at Cozy Sesh 7 last month, but announced on its social media Nov. 8 that due to delays in visa processing they would be rescheduling their performance for Cozy Sesh 8, on Dec. 7. However, on Dec. 3 Bondax announced through its social media that only Townsend would be performing at the remaining shows on Bondax’s North America tour in Long Beach, Mexicali and New York.
As with previous Cozy Sesh events, various recreational marijuana brands and businesses were present to share their products with the community and to get consumer feedback. Participating brands included Body and Mind Connection, Ervana, Honey, Moxie and Pantry.
Pantry is a company that works with chefs to create food infused with THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. “Edibles” is the common term for food containing cannabis, and ingesting THC causes stronger and longer lasting effects than smoking or vaping it.
Scott Jennings, Pantry founder, stood at his booth in a Santa hat and provided free refreshments for the crowd while promoting Pantry’s line of THC suffused olive oil and chocolates and heard customer feedback.
“I don’t want to tell the community what they should eat,” Jennings told the Signal Tribune. “I obviously have my suggestions as a personal consumer myself, but we’re here to listen. […] Pantry wants to be a community brand, and we love the feedback from the community to find out what we can deliver to them that would be optimal for their experience and their knowledge.”
Pantry products can be bought online through recreational marijuana delivery services in Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Palm Springs.
By including charity opportunities and marijuana education at its free Cozy Sesh concerts, ShowGrow hopes to make its music events stand out from those of other venues.
“There’s a huge take on Cozy that really sets it apart from any other music event happening right now,” ShowGrow told the Signal Tribune through social media.
