California is on the verge of a potential shift in its cannabis industry, as the state Legislature has passed a bill that could pave the way for cannabis cafes where patrons can enjoy both cannabis and a meal. The proposed legislation, Assembly Bill 1775, which now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature, would allow cities to authorize dispensaries to serve food and nonalcoholic drinks, and even host live entertainment, alongside the consumption of cannabis products.
Currently, some dispensaries in California offer on-site consumption lounges, but these are limited to selling prepackaged snacks and beverages. The new bill would expand this by permitting a more cafe-like atmosphere, akin to the cannabis-friendly coffee shops in Amsterdam, where patrons can consume marijuana in a social setting.
Assemblymember Matt Haney, the bill’s author, argues that this change could support the state’s legal cannabis market by providing businesses with new revenue opportunities. Haney has pointed out that the illegal market continues to thrive, while legal dispensaries struggle under heavy regulations and taxes.
Proponents of the bill, including the California Nightlife Association and California NORML, believe that current dispensary models fail to offer the social experience that many consumers are looking for, reducing dispensaries to transactional, pharmacy-like establishments.
However, the bill faces opposition from public health advocates who are concerned about the health risks associated with secondhand cannabis smoke. Groups like the American Heart Association argue that marijuana smoke contains harmful particulates that can exacerbate health conditions such as asthma and cardiovascular disease.
Governor Newsom previously vetoed a similar proposal, citing concerns about maintaining California’s smoke-free workplace laws. The current version of the bill includes new provisions aimed at addressing these concerns, such as allowing cities to impose ventilation standards and ensuring that cannabis cafe employees can use protective masks, with employers covering the costs.
West Hollywood has already pioneered a similar concept, with several cannabis cafes operating within its borders under a licensing system established six years ago. These establishments often work around current restrictions by partnering with nearby restaurants to provide fresh food, maintaining a separation between the food service and the dispensary operations.
If signed into law, AB 1775 could encourage other cities, including Los Angeles, to explore similar licensing systems, potentially transforming the landscape of California’s cannabis industry.
I am not really sure what this actually does. West Hollywood did not need a State law to open our lounges. This simply allows cities to choose to do what WeHo has pretty much already done. The bigger issue is that California’s legal pot industry is in trouble; the New York Times had an interesting article about Michigan’s flourishing pot industry compared to California’s. Cutting the tax is probably the only way legal pot can compete; that leaves little incentive for municipalities to license new pot retail operations. Legalization was supposed to undermine illegal pot distribution. The opposite seems to… Read more »
Bravo for the free enterprise system. As to smoking, there is vaporizing of flowers [bud]. I highly endorse the Volcano Vaporizer from Storz-Bickel. Don’t skimp on yourself. Vaporizing is not smoking. There is no smoke.
It is SUCH bullshit to allow this but ban cigarettes. A double standard. Either BOTH, or neither. This business of demonizing cigarette smoke and yet cannabis can do no wrong is crap.
This is out of control as is giving ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FREE LOANS AND DOWN PAYMENTS!!!! But in a related issue with corrupt California politics: WAKE UP CALIFORNIA. WAKE UP WEST HOLLYWOOD. We are just circling the drain. F this. Same as tuitiion relief. Buying votes. Buying votes. Buying votes. California & America needs to stop breast feeding those that don’t belong here or are just to lazy to try. Oh, sorry, CHEST FEEDING. I’ve been a Democrat, but not this time. And why is Schiff to silent? Californians have voted in a legislature that does not give one SHIP about… Read more »
If you can’t dine without pausing from the bong for an hour or two, you’re the problem. We certainly don’t need pot cafes.
You give them an inch, they take a yard. As Amsterdam has learned (the hard way) what the cannabis business has done to their city, and has made changes to limit such businesses, W Hollywood has failed to learn from their mistakes. 🙄
[…] Story continues […]
[…] Story continues […]