美国国家公共电台 NPR--Ceylon House, Maryland's first cannabis lounge, operates in legal limbo

Ceylon House, Maryland's first cannabis lounge, operates in legal limbo¹

Transcript²

Maryland voted to legalize recreational marijuana in November, but the marketplace won't open until July. The state's first cannabis lounge, however, operates in a legal gray area.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Marijuana lounges are catching³ on in places where recreational marijuana is now legal. They're places where people can smoke pot in public and in the company of others. Maryland is currently in the process of legalizing marijuana. But as Scott Maucione of WYPR reports, the state's first cannabis cafe operates in a legal gray area.

SCOTT MAUCIONE, BYLINE⁴: From the outside, Ceylon House looks like a medical office building. It has a brick facade⁵ and shares its space with a dentist and a hair-braiding studio. But once you open the door, a glass case of colorful bongs greets you as a DJ blasts reggae music. People are chatting and sharing joints⁷. And the distinctive⁸ smell of marijuana permeates⁹ the air. Ceylon House is Maryland's first cannabis lounge. And inside, patients with medical marijuana cards can smoke, play board games and rent paraphernalia¹⁰. There's no food or beverages¹¹ sold on the premises¹², but a food truck is just a few yards away for those who get the munchies. Gloria Jones is 80 years old, in a wheelchair and smoking a joint⁶.

GLORIA JONES: I'm very surprised at how it is, but it's great.

MAUCIONE: The lounge has swinging chairs and vendors¹³ showing off smoking products.

JONES: Just to be able to come out and socialize with, you know, other people who are doing the same thing that you like to do.

MAUCIONE: Jones is sitting with Sherry White, a middle-aged¹⁴ woman who's also a medical patient.

SHERRY WHITE: I'm constantly in pain, and so I don't really go out at all. I really like this. I really do. I'm glad it's the place to socialize and take your medicine, as well.

MAUCIONE: White says the lounge gives people like her an opportunity to get out of the house while still dulling their pain.

WHITE: You don't have to be in your bedroom, cooped up like me.

MAUCIONE: Ceylon House operates in legal limbo. Cannabis lounges aren't technically¹⁵ illegal in Maryland, but they aren't legal, either. The state voted to legalize recreational marijuana in November, but the marketplace won't open until July. Ceylon House only allows medical patients inside right now, but it plans to expand when the recreational market opens. Currently, there are only six states that allow cannabis lounges, but the idea is gaining steam. Paul Armentano is the deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. He says as more states legalize the recreational use of the drug, they're finding a need for designated use areas as people come in from other states to use pot.

PAUL ARMENTANO: They can buy cannabis when they are staying in these cities, but they can't legally use cannabis when they go back to their hotel or out on the street.

MAUCIONE: States and cities are seeing the need for areas like cannabis lounges to solve that problem. The Las Vegas City Council recently voted to allow cannabis lounges. And Atlantic City's in the process of turning a former 10,000-square-foot casino into a dispensary and lounge. Now, other states and cities are considering loosening laws around cannabis cafes or letting current ones act more like bars by bringing in bands or selling food. Ceylon House could soon follow suit as Maryland continues its process of legalizing recreational weed.

For NPR News, I'm Scott Maucione in Baltimore.

(SOUNDBITE OF MARLEY CARROLL'S "MIGRATION")

1 limbo   

n.地狱的边缘；监狱

参考例句：

• His life seemed stuck in limbo and he could not go forward and he could not go back.他的生活好像陷入了不知所措的境地，进退两难。
• I didn't know whether my family was alive or dead.I felt as if I was in limbo.我不知道家人是生是死，感觉自己茫然无措。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 facade   

n.(建筑物的)正面，临街正面；外表

参考例句：

• The entrance facade consists of a large full height glass door.入口正面有一大型全高度玻璃门。
• If you look carefully,you can see through Bob's facade.如果你仔细观察，你就能看穿鲍勃的外表。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

7 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

8 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

9 permeates   

弥漫( permeate的第三人称单数 )； 遍布； 渗入； 渗透

参考例句：

• Studies show that water vapor quickly permeates plastic packaging material. 研究证明水蒸汽能迅速渗入塑料封装材料。
• Democracy permeates the whole country. 民主主义（的思想）普及全国。

10 paraphernalia   

n.装备；随身用品

参考例句：

• Can you move all your paraphernalia out of the way?你可以把所有的随身物品移开吗？
• All my fishing paraphernalia is in the car.我的鱼具都在汽车里。

11 beverages   

n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 控制酒类销售的法规
• regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 含酒精饮料的销售管理条例

12 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

13 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

14 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

15 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。