Earthly Delights: A Look Inside LA’s Extravagant Cannabis-Infused Dinner Party

A hedonistic Los Angeles supper club has dipped its toe in mellower vibes, launching an ongoing series of 420-friendly dining events each themed for a different iconic garden. A collaboration among Disco Dining Club, cannabis curators Six Veils Social Club, and hemp lifestyle and retail site Moon Cloth, it’s for a good cause, too.

The inaugural event was held at a private West Adams residence for about 50 people the Saturday immediately following 4/20. It was titled “Dinner in the Garden of Earthly Delights,” after the surreal triptych by Norwegian painter Hieronymus Bosch. However, real Earth-grown delights at this pot party lay in the cannabis strewn throughout the home and its verdant backyard.

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Guests were first greeted by drag performer Roz Drezfalez, who sat on the porch in a stunning purple Iggy Soliven getup, waving them into the home. There, a glass of welcome champagne was extended, and guests were free to wander around. To the right, a living room floor had been covered in colorful pillows. On a nearby hutch, a tea tray of yellow and pink flower petals held joints delicately wrapped in pink paper. To the left, a parlor area contained a low tea table overflowing with cannabis and surrounded by even more cozy pillows.

It was something of a departure from DDC’s usual fare; past events featured a lavishly themed meal followed by a night of free-flowing drinks and endless oysters. Abiding by the mantra “consume everything,” DDC parties strive for the hedonism from the days of disco.

DDC Founder Courtney Nichols said she had long been reluctant to incorporate cannabis into her booze-fueled parties, as she wasn’t quite sure how cannabis culture and disco culture would overlap. Yet when she met the folks behind Six Veils Social Club and MoonCloth, she changed her tune.

“I realized it wasn't weed that I was wary of; it was the trend of fancy weed gadgets dominating weed events, which made me feel alienated.”

“I realized it wasn’t weed that I was wary of; it was the trend of fancy weed gadgets dominating weed events, which made me feel alienated,” Nichols said.

There were no complicated vaporizers or bubblers in sight, and no one was dabbing. Instead, cannabis took the form of flower, teas, and mild edibles. Scattered about the tea table, guests could choose joints from Cushily, along with plenty of flower to pack into pretty crystal bowls. There was an abundance of cannabis, certainly, but also CBD-only treats and herbal cigarettes if someone felt like smoking or snacking without getting high.

“We wanted even those who barely consumed weed to feel at home, in a warm and inviting environment,” Nichols said.

Wandering further in to the backyard, mannequins wreathed in bright garlands were positioned among ferns and around a small reflecting pond. Ceramic bowls containing even more joints rested on tables next to lit candles, and communal tables draped in pink were set for dinner. A stark-faced mime in a rose-colored robe (played by Nicky Rowlands of Giraffe Studios LA) performed next to the pond while guests took their seats. Most were garbed in floral prints and pastels, though some had more elaborate costumes plucked right from the eccentric Bosch paintings. Others looked like characters from woodland fairy tales.

Each place setting held a hemp napkin, Boxed Water, and a kaleidoscope glass from FutureEyes. There were also 8mg THC lollipops from Nice Canna Company, flavored with rose and Manuka honey.

Dinner came via Chef Nico Ava. It consisted of three courses—another triptych—starting with a chamomile scallop milk broth with snow fungus, a type of mushroom frequently used in Chinese medicine for skincare and health. The dish was paired with a sativa-dominant organic San Fernando Valley OG joint, wrapped in pink paper, along with a mildly spicy cocktail made with shishito-infused vodka, dry vermouth, and olive juice. Arriving next was a large, pan-fried dumpling, each one pleasantly plump and topped with gold foil and caviar—a nod to DDC’s usual excess. The final course was a very simple potato soup with herbs, paired with an indica-dominant organic Strawberry Banana joint wrapped in rose petals, and a rum-based cocktail with grapefruit syrup.

Most of the dishes were warm and comforting, but not heavy. They were followed by a choice of desserts from Chef Gabriel Cappelli, and chow mein was available for those who still felt peckish after all that cannabis. When the delicious spread was consumed, guests were free to laze about in hammocks or explore the secluded treehouse in the backyard. Musical performances by Costa Rican singer/songwriter MishCatt, Los Angeles rock band Vista Kicks, and modular synth act Artifact were held inside the house.

In such a serene and lush environment, it felt as natural to pass the bowl as it might have the wine.

At one point, performance artist Joss Kelvin emerged in a romper and something akin to a fuzzy mascot head, writhing to the music. A neon sign reading “consume” loomed over the guests.

Compared to previous DDC events, the cannabis-over-alcohol emphasis resulted in a gentler atmosphere, but no less friendly. Guests freely mingled, sharing pillows and pot, and probably had an easier time remembering their new friends in the morning than they might have with an open bar. In such a serene and lush environment, it felt as natural to pass the bowl as it might have the wine.

What new gardens they’ll explore is unclear, though there certainly are many gardens where I’d gladly get high, including the The Secret Garden and The Garden of Living Flowers à la Alice in Wonderland. I also wouldn’t mind the southern charm of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. While the next theme hasn’t been revealed, another event is slated for mid-summer.

For details as they emerge, follow DDC on social media or sign up for their mailing list here.