Mural wall comes down as Tahoe Wellness Center expands into new space

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The mural painted on the temporary walls at Tahoe Wellness Center (TWC) in South Lake Tahoe came down on Friday. People loved the art, disliked it, or ignored it, but it is now gone as TWC owner Cody Bass prepares to unveil the business expansion.

While the mural on the outside is gone, the same artist, MEAR ONE, is painting another on one full wall inside the cannabis dispensary.

Open since 2009, the growth into the old El Dorado Savings lobby of the building Bass purchased is the latest expansion for TWC. The new front space will open for business at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 22. Customers still walk in the same front door to be checked in at the front counter, then directed into the new space.

It will be a busy Friday night for the cannabis business as they close early and start moving product in, add a new door and finish up last-minute touches.

Bass said they are known for their customer service and "budtenders" and people should expect the same service in the expanded area that allows them to have cannabis products at their fingertips in the six new glass display cases - two are for edibles and topicals, four for budtenders.

Where the countertops once were for banking deposit and withdrawal slips will now be a new feature for TWC - market-style shopping for those that know what they need and can shop on their own and not wait in line.

Bass was aiming to have the new area open for 4/20, the high point of the year for cannabis users. He had to wait for the State's occupancy approval of the building which came through Friday, but he said it actually worked out well since 4/20 was such a crazy day as customers celebrated the weed holiday. He said it is still the busiest day of the year.

Another new feature he has added is a log wall, hollowed-out trees that are now shelves for vendors to display their wares for brand recognition.

Once laws change, as Bass expects they will down the road, he will be adding edibles that are nutritious since they all come in the form of candy at this time. He'd add a chef who could create a meal based on the potency of the cannabis they'd like to use. Bass said this will help patients that can't eat normally.

Also coming down the road will be a consumption lounge. It would eventually take the place of his current store as everything moves over. He said he was just at Woody Harrelson's consumption lounge "The Woods" in West Hollywood and said it showed how great social interaction can be in a place pot users can enjoy it together. Bass said they served "small dose" coffee and the setup has positive outcomes.

So far, a consumption lounge has been an allowable use in the City of South Lake Tahoe.

The remodel started in 2021, and while he has used the bank's old vaults, the rest of the bank's space was not used.

"This is a game changer," said Bass of the new spot. "This will allow us to give better service."

Bass said he wants to continue to think of the environment in his business. While there is waste in required packaging on the stock he purchases, he hopes that can change and he does all he can to combat that. For the last two years, he has reused all of his soil and doesn't through it away with every harvest as others do. He said it is sustainable as it is fully alive with beneficial worms - regenerative farming with no harm to the earth.

As for the old mural, once it is taken down he'll use the panels at his house this summer, then store them until he can take them to Burning Man.

Tahoe Wellness is located in the Bijou Center, 3445 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.