Lit Café aims to redefine Las Cruces cannabis culture

In a city where ‘high desert’ has more than one meaning, a new consumption lounge hopes to spark up a new kind of gathering space for cannabis enthusiasts and curious minds alike. 

The Lit Café – located at 523 E. Idaho Avenue, the former location of Si! Italian Bistro – is set to host its grand opening on Dec. 28 at – when else? – 4:20 p.m.

Despite the homage to stoner culture, The Lit Café’s owner, Marvina Thomas, explained it’s not just about getting high.

“I want people to come in and enjoy the music, or whatever we're doing,” Thomas said.

Thomas is the owner of FourTwenty Collections Dispensary, an Arizona-based company with a location in Las Cruces since 2022. She said The Lit Café plans to offer a regular slate of live events. Comedy acts, live music, and open mic nights seek to fill out The Lit Café’s event listings. 

Thomas said the idea for the lounge came from two places: experiencing the average consumption lounge and a desire to break the stigma around cannabis. 

“I don't want no one feeling left out,” Thomas said. “I want our location to be open to everyone, you know. I want it to be a space where everybody can learn about cannabis and not have the stigma on there, where people are just there to get high. No, some people are there to learn.”

That last part – breaking cannabis stigmas – is a key part of the vision, Thomas said. 

Humans have been using cannabis for most of recorded history, with some of the oldest references occurring in the mythological origins of modern-day China around 2,800 BCE, according to historical research on the topic. 

From stigma to café experience

In the 1930s, the U.S. effectively taxed away legal and medical cannabis markets with the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. At the time, proponents of the legislation said the purpose was to raise revenue but, decades after passage, critics said the bill was nothing more than an attempt to protect a few millionaires' holdings on traditional paper production operations.

At the same time, literature and movies like “Refer Madness” (1936) attempted to make racist associations between cannabis and men of color as aggressive perpetrators of sexual assault. 

Starting with the legalization of medicinal use in 1996, cannabis has come more and more into the mainstream. In 2020, the New Mexico Legislature legalized recreational use in the state, though cannabis remains prohibited under federal law.

Since then, southern New Mexico has been inundated with purchases by New Mexicans and Texans looking for legal cannabis. On-site consumption at dispensaries is prohibited, except for specially licensed consumption lounges. The first such establishment opened in Las Cruces in 2022.

There are signs that the growing market has reached some kind of equilibrium.

A report presented to the Las Cruces City Council on Nov. 1 showed that sales declined slightly from July 1 to Aug. 31. The report said that the decline was driven by a drop in medical cannabis sales.

As more people become familiar with cannabis, more people will seek information about how to consume the drug; and that’s a gap where Thomas and The Lit Cafe hope to find a niche.

“If they make any edibles at home, how do they measure up the medicine to be 10 milligrams or 2.5 milligrams? Because a lot of people just pour in a whole lot of (cannabis), not knowing how to measure,” Thomas said 

Outside of events, The Lit Café aims to play host to university students and professionals looking for alternative gathering spots to work, study or talk business. 

“Whatever event that you come with, come talk to me. We can make it work,” Thomas said. 

The Lit Café will also serve food, with and without cannabis infusions, at its indoor and outdoor seating. Thomas said The Lit Café can also host private events such as bridal showers, celebrations and business meetings. 

The Lit Café plans to initially employ around 10 employees for the 7,000-square-foot venue. 

“There's not a whole lot to do in Las Cruces,” Thomas said. “So just trying to bring something different to Las Cruces. And I think ours is going to be a little different.”