A lawmaker in California is reintroducing a bill to legalize cannabis cafés within the state. This proposed legislation, known as Assembly Bill 374, seeks to establish venues similar to those in Amsterdam, where cannabis could be legally purchased and consumed alongside food and beverages. Governor Gavin Newsom previously vetoed this bill in October.
Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), the initiator of the bill, announced its revival on X. Haney highlighted the bill’s previous success in garnering significant bipartisan support in both the state Assembly and Senate.
Despite this support, Gov. Newsom expressed concerns that the bill might compromise California’s established smoke-free workplace regulations, as stated in his veto message. Emphasizing worker health and safety, Newsom urged the bill’s sponsors to consider these issues in future legislative efforts.
In response, Haney is now working with Gov. Newsom’s office and the California Department of Cannabis Control to address these concerns.
Currently, California law permits consumption lounges, but they are restricted to selling only cannabis products, excluding items like food and drinks. Some establishments navigate this restriction by operating a separate business to “deliver” food and drink to lounge patrons. However, AB 374 aims to simplify this process by allowing a single business to offer both cannabis and non-cannabis products.
Pot makes you paranoid, lazy, and wanting to stay in, kick-back on the sofa, and listen to some classic Zeppelin albums. (Or 311, depending on your mood/age/demographic.) Who is in the mood to go out and sit around strangers once the high hits?
How can cigar lounges be legal but not this? Don’t cigar lounges compromise the regulations already?
With all the problems that this state, and certainly the city of San Francisco has, this is what lawmakers are working on? These idiots need to get their priority straight and work on the things that are going to improve conditions within the state and city and not further deteriorate them.