Grandma Jazz began with a sunset hammock conversation between AC and Joy, whose shared appreciation for slow coffee, forgotten jazz and Thai culture became the foundation for a zero-waste cannabis café.
Kamala, Phuket: A Sunset Conversation
The original nuggnotes account traces Grandma Jazz to Kamala, in the hills of Phuket, Thailand. The idea began with a sunset hammock conversation between: AC, a UK-raised creative; Joy (@blackenjoyz), his Thai partner and what the original account calls the soul of the space. Their vision was to create a zero-waste cannabis café where the senses mattered and the flower was an expression of local culture. The caption connects the concept with respect for the land they live on. Rather than creating a conventional dispensary, they imagined a place where cannabis, music, hospitality and environment came together.
Beach Beats, Thai Coffee and Forgotten Jazz
AC came to Thailand to experience a new culture. Joy explored Thai coffee through travel. Their relationship developed around shared interests in slow brewing and forgotten jazz. According to the original account, those interests eventually inspired something larger: a plastic-free lounge with its own atmosphere and identity. The founders wanted to move away from the copy-and-paste dispensary concept and create a destination rooted in Thai flower, environmental responsibility and music.
2022: Thailand's Cannabis Laws Change
In 2022, Thailand's cannabis laws changed. According to the original account, AC and Joy were already developing their concept. Their goal was to avoid what the caption calls the: "copy & paste" trap. They wanted to build something fresh rather than reproduce the standard dispensary model. Their vision centered on local cannabis, environmental responsibility and an experience built around music and community.
January 2023: Thailand's First Plastic-Free Dispensary
In January 2023, Grandma Jazz Phuket (@grandmajazzphuket) opened. The original account identifies it as: Thailand's first plastic-free dispensary. The opening represented the realization of AC and Joy's vision. The business was built around sustainability and an experience connecting customers with local flower, music and place.
Green Flow Movement: No Baggies, No Foil
Plastic-free design was central to Grandma Jazz. The original account specifically states: No baggies. No foil. Instead, the business used: bamboo straws; canvas smoke bags; refill tins. Its broader environmental vision was called: Green Flow Movement (@greenflowmovement). The movement was backed by: The Phuket Cannabis Association; other zero-waste shops. The project extended Grandma Jazz's environmental approach beyond its own location and connected it with other businesses committed to reducing waste.
The Saturday 4:20 Jazz Ritual
One of Grandma Jazz's defining experiences was its weekly music gathering. Every Saturday at 4:20, the hilltop location became a live musical session. The original account identifies three elements: live saxophone; upright piano; cold brew coffee. Guests could reflect, drink coffee and enjoy the surrounding atmosphere. The caption describes the gathering as a combination of music, cannabis and community.
The Flower: Pineapple Express, Blueberry Muffin and Dipz
The original account identifies three specific flower selections associated with the Saturday sessions: Pineapple Express; Blueberry Muffin; Dipz. The caption describes the flower as pesticide-free. Its cultivation was connected to: @chiang_rai_cannabis. The original account traces the flower from Chiang Rai to Chalong. The emphasis was on local Thai cultivation rather than importing a generic cannabis identity from elsewhere. The sessions also featured pesticide-free flower grown from Chiang Rai Cannabis to Chalong.
YouTube: Streaming Grandma's Sessions
For people unable to make it to the hilltop, the original account says Grandma streams on: YouTube. The streams extend the music and atmosphere beyond the physical location. This allowed people who could not attend in person to experience the sessions remotely, for those who can't make it.
Coltrane Loops and Viral Travel Attention
Grandma Jazz began attracting attention through social media. The original account describes reels featuring Thai flower over John Coltrane loops. These videos began appearing on travel blogs. The attention brought different types of visitors to the space. The caption specifically names: backpackers; doctors; newlyweds; terp chasers; first-time cannabis consumers. People traveled to the hills to experience Grandma Jazz. The original account describes this as a departure from the conventional image of cannabis lounges built around boys-smoking-clubs. Its identity was more welcoming and inclusive. The caption characterizes the shift as: "no more boys-smoking-clubs."
Family Over Followers: No Punch Cards
Grandma Jazz approached customer relationships differently from conventional loyalty programs. The original account says there were: No punch cards. Instead, the walls displayed names quoted from visitors. The emphasis was on: memories; shared experiences; insight. The business wanted people to return because of their connection with the space and its community. The caption describes the feeling as: "return-to-home energy."
The Smoking Hat: An Homage to Elders and Jazz Legends
The smoking hat became part of Grandma Jazz's visual identity. According to the original account, it was an homage to: elders; jazz legends. The hat connected the space's cannabis identity with the music and cultural traditions that inspired it. It was more than a decorative accessory. It represented the respect for previous generations that ran through Grandma Jazz.
Culture Over Commerce: Terroir First
While other businesses focused on THC percentages, Grandma Jazz remained rooted in local cultivation and cultural education. The original account describes its philosophy through three ideas: terroir first; Thai grown; teaching respectful consumption. The caption says the business continued teaching visitors how to enjoy cannabis with respect. This approach connected the flower with its place of origin and the people growing it.
2024: Prempavee Cup and Female 420 Session
The original account identifies two developments in 2024. First, AC judged: @prempavee.cup. Second, Joy hosted a: Female 420 sesh. These activities expanded Grandma Jazz's role beyond its regular visitors. They connected the business with cannabis judging and a gathering centered on women in cannabis culture. The caption hints at future developments with the statement that every family needs more than a grandma.
Legacy: A Cannabis Café Built Around Community
Grandma Jazz began with AC, a UK-raised creative, and Joy (@blackenjoyz), his Thai partner and the soul of the space. Their shared interests in slow coffee, forgotten jazz and Thai culture became the foundation of a zero-waste cannabis café. After Thailand's cannabis laws changed in 2022, they continued developing the concept, opening in January 2023 as Thailand's first plastic-free dispensary. The Green Flow Movement vision, backed by the Phuket Cannabis Association and other zero-waste shops, used bamboo straws, canvas smoke bags and refill tins — no baggies, no foil. Every Saturday at 4:20, visitors gathered for live saxophone, upright piano and cold brew while enjoying pesticide-free flower — Pineapple Express, Blueberry Muffin or Dipz — grown from Chiang Rai Cannabis to Chalong. For people unable to attend, Grandma streamed on YouTube. Reels pairing Thai flower with John Coltrane loops spread through travel blogs, attracting backpackers, doctors, newlyweds, terp chasers and first-timers, with "no more boys-smoking-clubs." Rather than punch cards, Grandma Jazz displayed visitors' names on its walls, prioritizing memories and shared experiences. Its smoking hat honored elders and jazz legends. In 2024, AC judged the Prem Pavee Cup and Joy hosted a female 420 session. The original account describes Grandma Jazz as a lifestyle and community movement built around Thai-grown flower, environmental responsibility, music and a welcoming atmosphere. That open-access era ended in June 2025, when Thailand returned cannabis flower to prescription-only sales; Grandma Jazz is still open, but visitors now register on-site and a licensed Thai doctor decides on a prescription before any flower is sold.
YouTube Video
Sources
nuggnotes (@nuggnotes). "Grandma Jazz: Thailand's Smoothest Smoke Session." Instagram, June 19, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/DLEsFjRMyW_/
The original Instagram post behind this article.
Grandma Jazz. "Grandma Jazz | Coffee & Cannabis Café in Kamala, Phuket." grandmajazz.com. https://www.grandmajazz.com/
The shop's own site confirms it operates in the Kamala hills at 13/20 Moo 6, Kamala, Phuket, as a plastic-free cannabis café, currently posting Tuesday–Sunday 14:00–20:00 hours. In AC's voice it states that he and Joy built Grandma Jazz in Kamala in 2023, and it links the shop's YouTube channel, @GrandmaJazzphuket.
Grandma Jazz. "The Quiet Revolution of Grandma Jazz." grandmajazz.com. https://www.grandmajazz.com/blogs/the-quiet-revolution-of-grandma-jazz/
The shop's own account of its HEAD Magazine feature (named to the magazine's HIGH-Lights of 2025) and of its current operating model: since Thailand's laws shifted back to medical-only, visitors register on-site and a licensed Thai doctor decides on a prescription before any flower is sold. It also confirms live sessions filmed in 360° for YouTube, quotes handwritten on the walls, and passing its 1,000th day without plastic.
Legal 500. "Thailand's New Cannabis Controls Impact Doctors, Dispensaries, And Growers." Legal 500, September 4, 2025. https://www.legal500.com/intelligence/thailand/cannabis-hemp/thailand%27s-new-cannabis-controls-impact-doctors-dispensaries-and-growers
Documents the 2025 re-regulation: Thailand's June 26, 2025 Notification on Controlled Herbs (Cannabis) 2025 put cannabis flower back under tight control, so dispensaries may sell only to customers presenting a prescription (the PT 33 form) from a recognized practitioner. It also covers the new GACP certification requirement for all flower sold — the legal backdrop against which Grandma Jazz now operates.
Prempavee.com. "Prempavee.com Ganja Cup — First Edition Thailand." Prempavee.com. http://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/c87e5956-971a-4e30-be85-43f0ac6fbfca/downloads/Ganja%20Cup.pdf?ver=1783098664826
The cup's own rules document confirms the event in the post is real: a first-edition Thai ganja competition for outdoor, organically grown flower, with monthly tournaments running from June 2023 and a Gran Final set for April 20, 2024. Judging was done by public, grower and elite juries using the Prempavee grading system, though the document does not name individual judges.
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