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Abandoned Runyon Canyon Mansion Is Now A Marijuana Party Pad
A once-abandoned (and maybe cursed) mansion perched at the top of Runyon Canyon is finally being put to good use: it's now home to marijuana-fueled parties.
The man behind the weed fêtes is Michael Straumietis (a.k.a. Marijuana Don, Big Mike), the CEO of Advanced Nutrients, a Canada-based, marijuana nutrient and supplement company, according to TMZ.
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He's been renting out this Hollywood Hills home since June for $10,000 a month, throwing weekly weed ragers for folks with marijuana cards. We're talking about all sorts of pot-related items under the sun, from oils to edibles, and also a lavish spread of food, which includes fresh seafood and cheeses (for classier munchies fare).
A writer forLA Guestlist was invited to one of Straumietis' parties last month and lived to tell the tale, saying there was an "endless amount of weed," and some B-list celebrity sightings: Jonathan Daniel Brown from Kid Cannabis and Ronnie from Jersey Shore.
If you click on the Instagram hashtag #MarijuanaMansion, you'll find plenty of photos of the mansion with images of cannabis leaves projected on the walls, enough chilled Alaskan king crab legs to make you think you're at a Vegas buffet, and well, lots of babes.
We're not sure if it's a compliment that Straumietis is nicknamed the "the Dan Bilzerian of pot" (a millionaire playboy, pro poker player and gun lover), but L.A. Guestlist says Straumietis is "a 6ft 7in sweetheart." He does flaunt his ritzy lifestyle and scantily-clad women just like Bilzerian does on social media, though.
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It's not just these parties that are fascinating—the home itself is full of secrets and rumors. The 9,800-square-foot mansion is an impressive one with seven bathrooms and five bedrooms, a massive wine cellar, sweeping views of the L.A. skyline, and of course, a pool and Jacuzzi. Some think it's haunted, cursed, or used for satanic rituals. Others think it's an alien landing site or Indian burial ground. Though, some rumors are actually true, like how a notorious Armenian gang turned the vacant lot into a clubhouse. In 2011, LAPD officer Ralph Sanchez told the New York Times, "You would not believe it: from gang members to Satanic worshipers. You name it. The doors were pried open, no matter how many times we nailed them shut."
When the Times article came out, nobody had ever lived in the mansion legally (we say legally because there sure were many squatters). The 20-year-old abode has been beset with troubles, leading many to think it was cursed. It was initially built by a couple that would divorce before its completion, leaving it unfinished, before changing hands to owners that led to failed business partnerships and real estate squabbles. According to Real Estate website, RedFin, the property was sold last June for $7.35 million.
Well, we hope the Mike burned some sage before throwing his parties.
On a side note, we stumbled across this photo of a banner emblazoned with the question, "Want Big Sugary Buds?" We actually spotted this sign flying overhead at Will Rogers Beach in the Pacific Palisades over Labor Day weekend, and others saw it flying over Malibu as well. Straumietis' company, Advanced Nutrients, is the one behind these banners. He's been around us all this time and we had no idea. And to answer the banner's question: why, yes, we would.
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