Written by Michelle “Meesh” Hytner

Think of the best slice of Sicilian pizza you’ve ever eaten. Was the crust thick yet crispy? Did the tangy, acidic tomato sauce perfectly complement the chewy mozzarella cheese? Did it perhaps have weed in it? Probably not, right?

Enter Chris Barrett, AKA “The Pizza Pusha.” He and his growing, dedicated staff have been pushing the boundaries of flavor and the law since 2017. Their product? Thick slabs of Sicilian-style pizza ‘medicated’ with over 30mg of THC per slice. 

Barrett found his calling after attending a cannabis dinner party in California in 2015. The idea that simple cannabis, once an illicit drug, could be enjoyed as an element of fine dining was a revelation to him. He not only wanted to be the first weed pizza maker in New York, but also the best. The inviting, brick-walled culmination of this struggle is now accepting reservations from anyone who wants to get wavy with their dinner. 

This past Saturday, I visited Stoned Pizza’s brick-and-mortar pizzeria on the LES for my second time to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I already knew what to expect – I would eat too much and wake up the next morning still measurably stoned, not unlike after a big night of drinking. 

Our meal started with a choice of medicated sodas (Coca-Cola, Sprite, grape soda, orange soda, and lemonade). The process they use to infuse the drinks takes most of the effervescent fizz away but leaves in its place a blunt’s worth of THC. If I haven’t already mentioned it, this is not the place to bring your buddy who’s never tried weed. 

Shortly following our drinks, a giant tray of hot garlic knots arrived sitting in glistening green cannabis oil. Dried, ground bud was sprinkled on top, not unlike an oregano garnish. The knots were lightly crispy, doughy, and satisfying when complimented with dips of tart marinara. We each had three before the next course showed up: juicy, fried chicken lollipops smothered in a vaguely Asian BBQ sauce with a creamy blue cheese accompaniment. The meat fell off the bone. 

You’re allowed to bring your own party favors to enjoy at your table; they’ll even provide you with a gilded rolling tray to enhance your experience. (No alcohol is served or allowed inside.) The air quickly filled with the dank scent of high-grade cannabis as each table lit up. The novelty of smoking weed inside hasn’t yet worn off for me or my friends. We were nearly completely obliterated by the time our pizza arrived, a selection of four slices—sausage, pepperoni, veggie, and grandma-style. They also offer a highly-praised vegan slice that we did not try. 

The night gets hazy from there, but I remember a delicious mouthful of medicated pastry cream from the Sfogliatella they brought for dessert and having to beg our waitress for more water. 

You’ll need an Uber, a chaperone, or a fairy godmother to get home. Do the considerate thing and take a walk around the block to “air-out” before calling a car or going underground. 

The protocol for making a reservation has (thankfully) been streamlined since my first visit in late December 2020. It used to involve a semi-convoluted series of DMs to their Facebook or Instagram pages that may or may not have been answered (a process not unlike texting your actual weed dealer). Now interested parties can reserve a table and pre-pay around $120 per diner by following the prompts on their website. (https://thepizzapusha.info/)

If you’re not interested in shelling out that kind of green for, well…green, Stoned Pizza also offers pick-up and delivery (even to JC!) via the Slice app.