GETTING PUMPED

The “world’s first cannabis-friendly gym” is coming to San Francisco, but it is “not a place to come, get high and fuck around,” assures Power Plant Fitness co-founder Jim McAlpine, who partnered with retired NFL player Ricky Williams for this venture. Though the positive effects of cannabis on health and wellness sweep the nation, it’s surely not uncommon for a first interpretation of a “cannabis-friendly gym” to be hazed with stigmatized visions of rainbow tie-dyed sweat.

Benefits to members of Power Plant Fitness are well beyond simply being allowed the opportunity to consume cannabis onsite; let’s not forget this is a gym, first and foremost. A baseline performance assessment will be conducted prior to a secondary cannabis performance assessment, where the “most optimal ways to consume” will be evaluated on a person-to-person basis. McAlpine notes, “Cannabis effects people differently. It’s important that we are understanding the comparative per individual.” Power Plant Fitness plans to use multiple third-party resources such as CannabisReports.com to keep up-to-date with strain bios for their recommendations. Members are also encouraged to “kill two birds with one stone” as the gym plans to offer the convenience of ordering medicated goods to be delivered directly to the gym’s front desk within approximately five minutes. Pick-up medication and get a workout; this is a game-changer.

Prioritizing healthy cannabis consumption, Power Plant Fitness staff will preach to its members the benefits of consuming edibles, tinctures, using topically applied lotions/oils and vaping over the go-to; (inhaling combusted plant material) smoking cannabis flower. Though a smoking deck will likely be added for members who wish to spark up the old fashioned way, the intent is to provide resources such as clean, professional stations decked out with desktop vaporizers for members to enjoy.

We asked McAlpine how the idea for Power Plant Fitness came about and he was quick to joke that the first cannabis gym was at his parents’ house, as he reminisced about his 18-year-old self—hitting the water pipe with his friends in their garage-gym. McAlpine’s first venture, SnowBomb.com, helped the ski industry progress by way of a POS friendly “E-Ticket” system, giving ski resorts the ability to sell lift tickets online, nearly 20 years ago. Unfortunately, as California began to experience a massive drought nearly four years ago, the snow stopped, causing business to slow down. With desire to find a new productive outlet for talents, McAlpine departed for his “Tahoe House” in search of a new professional direction.

In an interview with CULTURE, McAlpine paints a scene of the moment inspiration struck: Sitting on the couch, with a freshly packed water pipe beckoning to be sparked. Just before lighting the bowl, McAlpine turns on the TV to be greeted by a “Green Rush” segment by VICE, which goes into detail about the opportunities developing for ganjapreneuers and families of patients. It was in this moment that McAlpine started to develop the ideas that soon progressed into a lifetime of enriched careers within the cannabis community.

Before Power Plant Fitness, McAlpine developed the concept for the “420 Games.” This series of unique athletic events takes place in California, Colorado, Washington and Oregon with a goal to promote the healthy and responsible use of cannabis while simultaneously using athletics to de-stigmatize the normative misperception of a cannabis user being a “lazy stoner.” McAlpine passionately interjects, “I don’t like the word ‘stoner.’ It shouldn’t represent a cannabis user. That’s only a small percentage [of those who medicate with cannabis].” Through athletic achievement, the 420 Games have given millions of responsible cannabis users the opportunity to come together and prove this sentiment true.

Beyond positively affecting the cannabis community by way of athleticism, McAlpine’s tech background has significantly benefited the masses as the founder of the “New West Summit” conference, which focuses exclusively on the innovative and disruptive developments in technology, investment and media within the cannabis space.

With so much momentum, it’s safe to say the cannabis industry’s high hopes have spread like wildfire, thanks to the relentless efforts of people like McAlpine and his team.

Power Plant Fitness plans to open its doors November 2016.