Toronto’s Oasis Aqualounge is renowned among sex-positive folk for being a safe and inclusive space for couples and singles who are interested in exploring their fantasies. The water-themed sex club has a reputation for being progressive and consent-driven. That’s why it’s no surprise that the club is also cannabis-friendly. After all, weed is known to help some enjoy intimacy on a deeper level.
A place to play…and get high
The club is housed in a 19th century historical mansion that was once a bathhouse called the Club Baths. It was famously raided in 1981 as part of an extensive sweep by the Toronto police, which targeted locations frequented by gay men. (The mass arrests sparked protests, eventually leading to the establishment of the Toronto Gay Community Council, the first Toronto Pride Parade, and to the Pride Toronto committee.)
The current incarnation of the club has a bar, hot tubs, sauna, and several floors of playrooms. It does everything above ground, abiding by local bylaws and frequent inspections by health officials.
The designated smoking area is located on the patio, outside the club, as bylaws require the area to be ventilated. The spacious deck allows guests to smoke or vape cannabis or smoke cigarettes. Glass isn’t allowed anywhere in the club—including glass sex toys—so glass pipes are out, but Mechtab says a plastic bong would probably be fine. Since the area is across the street from a school, guests must be fully covered when they convene outside.
Guests aren’t allowed to handle or consume cannabis within the club, so rolling, smoking, and vaping must be done in the designated smoking area.
Prior to the introduction of the smoking area, guests who wanted to get stoned would have to go out into the street and off the property to do so. It wasn’t the most convenient situation for a venue that’s clothing optional.
“It’s not the best area at night and if you’re in a robe or a towel, you were a little vulnerable standing on the street smoking a joint at night,” says Mechtab. “The smoking area keeps our customers safe. And for people who use cannabis for medical purposes, they can do what they need to do here in the club and not feel excluded.”
Education is key
Oasis was a pro-cannabis space even before the club provided patrons with a safe and legal place to consume their weed. Over the years, Mechtab has invited educators to host themed workshops, like one called “Cannabis and Coitus” for example, to teach how cannabis can go hand in hand with sex.
“We’ve always been interested in sexuality and trends, pushing boundaries a little bit as long as it’s within the legalities,” she says. “As cannabis becomes a lot more mainstream, it’s good to educate people, open up the conversation, create more acceptance and create more awareness. It helps to normalize it.”
Since the venue attracts a younger demographic—they host a college-aged night called “Sass after Class”—education is part of Oasis’s mandate.
“We talk about all kinds of things here…so why can’t we also talk about things that can enhance your sex life and libido,” says Mechtab.
As for the future, Mechtab says Oasis will continue to offer cannabis-themed educational workshops, as it’s part of its club’s mandate: to promote and educate people on how to have a good time.
“We really embrace the right for people to make their own choices,” she says. “Whether it’s smoking pot, sexual activity—as long as it’s consensual, we’re pretty much for it. Oasis Aqualounge doesn’t necessarily encourage people to smoke pot, but we welcome the people that do. Everything we do is legal here and I enjoy helping break the stigma.”
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