Event Recap: Friends N Family Grammy Party
For decades, cannabis and music have existed in close proximity. Artists write about it, build creative identities around it, and consume it privately. Yet even as cannabis has become legal and widely used, it’s rarely been consumed openly in the mainstream spaces where the music industry gathers.
Friends N Family sits squarely in that environment. Now in its 27th year, the private Grammy Week gathering brings together more than 2,000 artists, executives, managers, and creatives for an evening that unfolds through live performances and curated lounges across the Ebell of Los Angeles.
On Thursday, January 29, Budist returned to Friends N Family for the second year to host the Budist Cannabis Lounge inside the historic Ebell. Cannabis was woven into the overall flow of the night, accessed in the same way as music, food, and beverage.
Built in the late 1800s, the Ebell has long served as a hub for women’s empowerment, arts, and education, hosting events, performances, and philanthropic gatherings. That history of convening carried into the evening, as guests moved freely between performances and lounges across the property without a fixed program. Within that flow, the Budist Lounge became a place where artisan cannabis was explored through guided tastings and conversation, blending community with an education-forward spirit.
Flower Power
Flower anchored the lounge through two formats: hand-rolled joints and vaporization.
The roll bar was helmed by Budist’s Jake Kuczeruk alongside the legendary Joseph Haggard of Emerald Spirit Botanicals. The duo rolled joints continuously throughout the night, turning music lovers onto a variety of award-winning cultivars from the Farm Cut family of farms, including Chemdog from Down Om Farms, Pink Boost Goddess from Emerald Spirit Botanicals, and Lemon Cherry Sherbert from Whitethorn Valley Farm. Guests were mesmerized by the rich fruity and earthy fragrances as they eagerly awaited their turn to savor the best of California sungrown.
In the iconic outdoor courtyard of the Ebell, guests also explored the bounty of the Emerald Triangle through two Storz & Bickel dry-herb vaporizers: the Venty and the Veezy. These premium handheld devices were the stars of the vapor bar — served by Budists Christina Cassidy and Leah Cerri — offering a refined consumption experience many guests were trying for the first time. Royal Blueberry from Emerald Spirit Botanicals proved to be the perfect cultivar for this sensory journey, delivering incredible aromatics and flavor with a low THC and CBD profile that allowed guests to comfortably explore the performance of the Venty and Veezy without the fear of an anti-social high.
Grammys Meet Gummies
The edibles bar featured a dazzling assortment of KANHA gummies presented in a colorful, dispensary-style display. The selection included 3:2:1 Sleep, 1:1:1 CBN Tranquility Sleep, FX Love, FX Energy, Rosin Sour Island Breeze, Rosin Sour Berry Bliss, Rosin Sour Melon Rush, and KANHA Minis in Fly, Groove, and Float. The demand and excitement from guests was nothing short of bananas. A never-ending line of music-industry influencers and fashionistas filled the bar, exploring the different doses, formulations, and mouth-watering flavors that make KANHA a go-to edibles brand for so many cannabis lovers.
It’s safe to say cannabis edibles are a major hit in the music world, and the Budist Cannabis Lounge delivered the beat in grand style thanks to the passion and community-centered ethos of the KANHA team.
Bevies For Gen Z
The cultural shift from alcohol to non-alc beverages was felt with resounding enthusiasm as FNF guests discovered not one, but two cannabis beverage bars at the Budist Lounge. Upon entering, guests were met by two of the most iconic figures in cannabis culture: Cheech & Chong. Not the real-life celebrities, but the classic cardboard cutouts that have become beloved staples at cannabis events featuring the brand’s beverage line. The bar poured low-dose, fast-acting THC seltzers in three flavors — High & Dry Grapefruit Twist, Rolling Loud Orange, and High Tea Cheech’s Peaches. Budist and HerbSomm Jamie Evans, alongside cannabis educator extraordinaire Lori Hirsch, served these magical elixirs and kept guests coming back for more.
Just outside the lounge, Bloom & Barrel offered de-alcoholized, THC-infused wine for guests who preferred to savor the expression of the Paso Robles wine region without the typical wine buzz. Paso Red and Chardonnay provided a familiar yet unexpected format for those exploring alcohol alternatives while staying in rhythm with the night.
Vapes In Rotation
No music-fueled cannabis experience would be complete without the most popular format among partygoers: all-in-one vapes. Budist delivered in full, exceeding expectations when guests discovered the vape bar featuring Natural Gas by RAWSin. These prized solventless vapes combine the best of both worlds — award-winning live rosin by Hash & Flowers paired with the latest all-in-one vape technology, skillfully formulated and calibrated for a true solventless experience.
The cultivar lineup rivaled the music lineup: Papaya, Honey Banana, Cran Zkittlez, Tropicana Cookies, and Sour Pineapple — all offered as generous gifts for guests to enjoy throughout the night. Papaya, the 1st Place Trophy winner for Best Vape at the 2025 MJBowl, made the experience feel especially special within this iconic Grammy setting.
Closing Thoughts
Friends N Family provided a setting where cannabis was consumed openly within a mainstream music industry gathering, guided by the people behind the products and presented through familiar, approachable formats.
Guests moved in waves between performances and lounges across the Ebell property, often returning to the Budist Lounge more than once in hopes of a final taste or sample to take home.
Moments like these underscore the value of meeting people where culture already lives — allowing cannabis to show up without spectacle or stigma, and to be enjoyed comfortably among peers in mainstream settings.
Thank you to the brand partners, staff, and guests who spent time in the Budist Lounge and helped make it part of this year’s Friends N Family Grammy Party.