Forthcoming West Asheville CBD dispensary adds to booze-free 'third places'

Mackensy Lunsford | The Citizen-Times

In community building, the "third place" is neither home nor work. It's a place where community congregates — where conversations happen, where ideas are shared, even where movements come together.

In Asheville, those third places are often pubs or breweries, where options can be limited for nondrinkers.

But there's a small but growing collection of community centers offering alternatives to the alcohol-centric gathering spots. They occupy the fertile ground that exists between a wholesome soda shop and a shot-serving bar.

Increasingly, some are leveraging the popularity of Cannabidiol, or CBD, a chemical compound found in the hemp plant.

CBD is cropping up all over

The Asheville Dispensary will soon be another new Asheville source for CBD, often sold as tinctures, in edibles, in vape oils or even as topical rubs.

Located on Haywood Road, it will be part of a growing list of dispensaries, including Clover CBD and the recently opened Franny's Farmacy, both on Merrimon Avenue.

While researching the vibe for his own CBD business, co-owner Jimmy Gallagher visited a number of out-of-state dispensaries, many of which felt strangely sterile.

"They don't always feel like somewhere where people can come and learn, it was more being told, 'This is something you should buy that's good for you,'" and being ushered out the door, he said.

But the Asheville Dispensary, which Gallagher and four other co-owners hope to open in late October, will have a handmade wooden elixir tasting bar embedded with copper, a living wall of green mosses, murals from local artists and mid-century modern pendant lighting.

There will be a drink menu at this bar, but instead of cocktails, it will list CBD tinctures and the ingredients and the reported benefits of each. There will be grab-and-go CBD coffee and teas, or customers can order an herbal latte or tea and lounge on a couch, table or bar stool.

"The overall concept is a CBD dispensary as a backdrop, as a conduit to a communal space," Gallagher said. "A wellness lounge and place for people to come and get elixirs and tonics and share and trade information about herbs."

There will even be happy hours, like in a traditional bar.

But rather than booze, bartenders will mix up elixirs from The NOHM Co., a local company focused on changing the way people think about consumption, including in a bar-type atmosphere.

Conscious bar consumption

Jill TrAshley, founder of NOHM, isn't anti-alcohol. In fact, she's a bartender at The Block Off Biltmore and occasionally drinks socially. But she thinks Americans could stand to be more conscious of what and how they're consuming alcohol.

"Almost every culture in world has its alcoholic beverages," she said. "An elixir can include alcohol and still promote vitality when you're moderating your consumption."

NOHM adopts elements from cultural beverages around the world, adding an Appalachian twist with local herbs and foraged goods.

The Goji Okay, for example, takes the concept of East Indian Golden Milk, and mixes coconut milk with turmeric root, black pepper, goji berry and coconut oil.

Dobra, another haven for nondrinkers, has served the blend for a couple of years, and Lexington Avenue Indian restaurant Mela also has it on the menu.

At The Block Off Biltmore, which carries a wide assortment of ethically produced vegan drinks, TrAshley has helped design a cocktail menu where near half the drinks are nonalcoholic.

There's the deep blue-green chlorophyll-spiked Hydration Mertini, and the Shake Your Kolita, a Yerba Mate-based ginger drink with kola nut, vanilla and spices.

There are also hemp elixir shots, made with full-spectrum extracts from The Living Trees, a local CBD company whose products Asheville Dispensary will also carry.

It's easy to fall into the habit of getting off work and grabbing a beer to relax, she said.

"But beer is inflammatory and a sedative, and there's plenty of other plants in our world that can promote relaxation without inflaming or sedating you."

Plants-based elixirs can be nitro-infused or frothed into herbal lattes, or sweetened with local honey. And these hemp shots can be tossed back like the real thing — but these hurt far less.

Alcohol and plants can work together

Alcohol, TrAshley noted, has a long synergistic history with medicinal herbs. "It's a carrier that allows medicine to penetrate deeply into the system."

To that end, it makes sense to use the elixirs as mixers. And it's worth mentioning that TrAshley has nothing against beer — One World Brewing, in fact, just became the first brewery to partner with NOHM.

But, as a bartender, she's intentional with her service, adding another element to the role that goes beyond party cheerleader.

At the Block Off Biltmore, if TrAshley can sense someone wants to have a lower-key night, she can help them make the appropriate choices, tailor-made to their medicinal needs.

She wants to train other bartenders to adopt similar psychology to make sure customers aren't overdoing it — without offending them.

"It's a twist," she said, "but it's needed."

It's a slow return to the days of medicinal drinks and curative elixirs, and it's one that's starting to crop up in bars — and forward-thinking dispensaries — across the country.

The Asheville Dispensary, TrAshley added, is a great addition to Asheville, offering a space between the alcohol-dominated barroom and the apothecary.

Gallagher expects it will resonate with Asheville for many reasons: as a safe, sober space; as a quiet refuge; as an alternative to bar culture, without wholly giving up the bar.

"We want to be an evolution of an adult space, where people can come to relax and release in a nonalcoholic way, with a CBD dispensary as a backdrop."

Asheville Dispensary will be at 919 Haywood Road, Suite 110, Asheville.

What is CBD?

CBD is a naturally occurring cannabinoid derived from hemp, the same species as marijuana, although with a greatly reduced THC content. THC is responsible for the "high" in marijuana.

CBD is legal to purchase and consume in North Carolina, as long as THC content is at .3 percent or less.

Proponents hail the pharmaceutical effects of CBD, which some use to treat pain, anxiety and other physical and mental ailments. Others use it as a tool for relaxation.

After industrial hemp production became legalized in North Carolina as part of a 2016 Pilot Research Program, a number of dispensaries and CBD companies are working to incorporate state-grown hemp into their products.

Going sober?

Try these gathering places with options for nondrinkers:

Dobra Tea: Both locations (78 N. Lexington Ave. and 707 Haywood Road) have a wide-ranging menu of teas. CBD oil can be found in elixirs, lattes and snacks. The West Asheville location has a larger food menu with Ayurvedic, paleo and vegan treats.

The Block Off Biltmore: This gathering space and bar in the bottom of the historic YMI building offers vegan, ethical and sustainable liquor, beer and wine. There's also a wide variety of nonalcoholic cocktails, elixirs and shots. Plans are for the bar to begin opening during the day and serve juices and coffee also.

The Buchi Bar at Rosetta's Kitchen: Located below the longtime vegan restaurant, this bar has alcohol-driven drinks, but also offers homemade sodas, six flavors of Buchi Kombucha on draft and creative cocktails without the booze. Find also herbal and mushroom extractions, elixirs and other nutritive beverages. 116 N. Lexington Ave.