If alcohol can be marketed as a luxury product, why shouldn’t cannabis get the same treatment?
That was the question Monko Chief Executive Officer Terrence White sought to answer when he founded the Washington, D.C., dispensary. A high-end real estate veteran, White approached Monko’s design through a lens of lavishness, seeking to create a space that felt classier than the few-and-far-between legal dispensaries the District had offered consumers to that point.
“Monko was founded around taking the stigma off cannabis,” he said. “To accomplish that successfully, I wanted to approach it like a luxury brand—that really clean look, like walking into a modern home.”
White was eager to apply his real-estate experience to the store’s branding, adopting a sophisticated atmosphere that would cause Monko to be compared to brands like Louis Vuitton or Gucci … but plant-based.
“The stigma cannabis has had for decades represents the plant as ‘dirty,’” he said. “As a result, I think a lot of early brands overcorrected by making their operations like an office building: sterile, cold, doctor’s-office-type setting, especially here in D.C.”
Beyond the blandness and sterility of medicinal shops, White noticed many of the retail storefronts in his area took a run-of-the-mill head-shop approach to design and operation—an uninspired look and feel that mimics every other smoke shop. He realized operators were trying to play it safe and avoid standing out in a relatively conservative environment, but he also recognized their emphasis on taking no chances meant a region-specific demand wasn’t being met.
“D.C. pays the fourth-highest taxes in the country,” he said. “Our neighborhood is middle- to upper-class, and those people were in search of a luxurious, high-end experience with the plant. And since most of these individuals work the types of jobs that have kept them away from cannabis, many of them are also looking to understand more about the plant and how it works.
“Our tagline is ‘ignite your curiosity,’ and that’s how our experience is meant to unfold,” he continued. “We greet and educate customers with a luxury feel, teaching them how to incorporate CBD and cannabis into their lifestyle every day.”
Monko’s interior is meant to marry luxury and plant education. Customers can move through the store on their own terms, exploring products and relaxing among marble, leather, and plenty of opportunities to connect with friendly, knowledgeable staff members.
Education is emphasized because the District of Columbia and its environs remain—understandably—somewhat reserved when it comes to accepting the plant as part of a wellness regimen or lifestyle. After all, cannabis is illegal at the federal level, and Washington, D.C., is the seat of the federal government. Congresspeople and senators are still debating an issue most of the rest of the country settled some years ago. White is keenly aware he has a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to demonstrate to bureaucrats and elected officials how dispensaries and retail shops can look, how they operate, and the profound positive effects they can have in their communities. That’s why he and his team are as dedicated to building out their curriculum as they are to curating a classy space where District residents can explore plant products.
“We offer a Tuesday class we call Cannabis 101, or the lifestyle of cannabis,” White said. “It provides people with a history of the plant and teaches them how to incorporate CBD and THC into their daily routine. Our products speak to our knowledge as a staff, and we take that very seriously.”
But luxury, sophistication, and education aren’t Monko’s only passions. The team also is committed to supporting social equity and conscientious justice reform.
“Advocacy is another arm to our business, and we accomplish that with our presence,” White said. “When I think about making cannabis luxurious while fighting a battle for people of color, my main goal is to show people like myself, as a returned citizen, that we can do it right.”
White views “luxury cannabis” as not only an appealing market niche, but also a means to a very important end: destigmatizing the plant for those who’ve been victimized by the war on drugs.
“Luxury creates a space so people can feel comfortable to open up about their personal experience with the plant,” he said. “Monko is somewhere safe, elevated, and refreshing. That’s how our goal is accomplished.”
Most of the dispensary’s design whispers elegant minimalism, but White’s favorite feature is something of a shout among the calm. The Gas Bar comprises a black-and-white marble counter flanked by backlit, floor-to-ceiling abstract art representing enormous blue-and-orange swirls of smoke. Set off to the side in its own secluded alcove, the Gas Bar is where customers go to pick up their products.
“The name was inspired by the culture of cannabis,” White said. “Some people still call it ‘gas,’ so we named [the area] in honor of the [old guard]. It’s really cool, because the store gives you this luxury feel, and then the bar brings in some of that heritage, reminding us what the streets named cannabis, in a sense.”
Monko opened in April. From the beginning, the dispensary made a point of hosting community-oriented events and activations, including 4/20 and anniversary celebrations, Pride parties, and private gatherings.
The store recently celebrated Pride month and Juneteenth. “For Juneteenth, we brought in some Black poets to do live readings,” White said. “We also had a DJ and plenty of opportunities to learn more about Juneteenth and cannabis culture alike.
“With Monko, I just want everyday working people to have somewhere to express themselves with cannabis,” he added. “They don’t have to hide anymore; they can go somewhere that feels safe, warm, and reliable. Monko gives consumers the ambiance they’re craving. It makes you take yourself out of D.C. for a second and allows you to picture greater possibilities.”
Monko plans to host some kind of event for every major holiday, working strategically to provide a space for cannabis consumption amidst the District’s traditional celebrations.
“At the end of the day, everything we do revolves around the original mission: taking the stigma off cannabis and making it luxury,” White said. “So, how can I accomplish that? That’s all I want. I drive that point home every day: All of our efforts are here to help you ignite your curiosity with luxury.”
He’s already planning to expand and, in the next store, he hopes to install a lounge area where people can hang out—akin to a cigar bar without the alcohol.
“Again, it’s a way for people to escape,” he said. “You can take yourself away from your daily life. You don’t have to smoke in front of your kids or family members; just come in and chill for a while. You’ve earned the right to have a luxurious space to throw your feet up for an hour or two and escape.”
