A Tucson woman is putting her love of cannabis together with her party planning skills to create marijuana-infused dinner parties.
Meaghan Gould, aka Meaghie Jane, threw her first party in February at a private residence in the Catalina Foothills.
“In Tucson we do have that cannabis community,” Gould said.
Guests were greeted by an elaborately set table and a bar cart with weed, a grinder and a bong with fresh water. They were invited to pour themselves a drink or roll up a joint before enjoying the sativa-infused appetizer of roasted vegetables alongside a long cheese-and-fruit board.
After enjoying the appetizers, the guests went outside to catch the sunset and take a few photos. When they came back inside, the sound of Justin Beiber’s “Peaches” flooded the room along with a citrusy and earthy smell from the second course, a white fish with a green goddess sauce and a cabbage radicchio salad with an infused dressing.
The chef finished the meal with a blood orange creme brulee to go along with an orange CBD oil.
To infuse the food, Gould crafted her own extracts that she made from the Abundant Organics brand. She likes to use a sativa for a more happy, bubbly, and euphoric high.
“You’re not too high at any point, but it’s more of like, ‘Oh I am feeling it for sure’,” said Gould.
Gould also set up a deal with Uber to get guests a ride to and from the venue to encourage them to not drive under the influence.
Gould is happy that weed is becoming more socially acceptable because she felt like it was always presented to her as a “gateway drug.” She recalls the warnings: “If you smoke weed you are going to get addicted to heroin. I feel like that was kind of instilled, especially in freshman and sophomore year of high school,” she said.
Born and raised in Tucson, Gould attended Salpointe High School. She started smoking weed when she was 16 years old and once got busted for it at school, leading to a five-day suspension.
But it didn’t dampen her enthusiasm for cannabis. In fact, she liked it so much that during a smoking sesh, a fellow smoker gave her the nickname Meaghie Jane. It wasn’t long before the nickname caught on and the whole school started calling her Meaghie Jane, which she has now turned into a brand name for her fledgling business.
“I feel like I know this is what I am supposed to be doing so there is no other route,” she said. “It is just a matter of time and sticking it out.”
She is currently hosting dinner parties at private residences, promoting her brand, and getting her name out into the industry.
“The industry in general is super welcoming and supportive of people trying to get in because, you know, as long as you’re passionate about it, people are like ‘yeah let’s collaborate and let’s do things together’,” she said.
Gould graduated from the University of Arizona in 2018 with her Bachelors in Science and Psychology and a minor in General Science. She was particularly interested in cognitive neuroscience and the study of the mind.
After graduating, she realized that she was really interested in event planning. After hosting a friendsgiving with 30 of her friends one year, she became aware of how much she really loved setting up events.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Gould took her experience working as a server at several local spots, including Blanco Tacos and Tequila, Sauce Pizza and Wine, and Zinburger, and decided to create a career that combines food, cannabis and party planning.
About a year ago, Meaghie Jane started making her own oils by baking her flower and mixing it with coconut oil. She experimented with incorporating cannabis into cooking and learned how to properly dose her meals while accounting for how the oil affected the flavor profiles.
She is currently looking to collaborate with dispensaries for 4/20 events, and hopes to have her own strain of weed in the future.
“Everyone in the community is looking for all the same things. It’s competitive but everyone wants the same goal of making weed normal and socially acceptable,” she said.
As a young entrepreneur, Meaghie is experiencing challenges starting up her business, but with help from her silent partner and business mentor, she is moving forward. She hopes to have her own cannabis cafe in the future, citing the eastside Harambe Cafe as an inspiration.
She is happy that weed is losing its stigma.
“As a country evolving and letting go of the War on Drugs, a new scene for cannabis is going to eventually happen and I hope to be a part of that,”
she said.
If you are looking to book an dinner event in the future, check out Meaghie Jane’s instagram @meaghiejane
