Starting next year, customers in the western US state of California will be able to smoke weed in certain restaurants, thanks to a new law that allows “cannabis cafes” similar to those popular in the Netherlands.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday that allows businesses that already have cannabis sales licenses to serve hot food and non-alcoholic beverages.
Effective January 1, 2025.
California legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, but dispensaries that sell marijuana legally are still not as popular as the black market.
“Right now, our nation's small cannabis businesses are struggling to compete with illegal drug dealers who don't abide by the law and don't pay their taxes,” said state Rep. Matt Haney, who authored the bill. .
“For the legal cannabis market to survive and thrive in California, they must be able to adapt, innovate, and provide the products and experiences that customers want,” Haney continued.
Some cities, like West Hollywood near Los Angeles, have been pushing for such legislation for years.
The liberal enclave hopes to compete with Amsterdam and already hosts “cannabis lounges” with dispensaries attached to separate bars and restaurants.
The legislation would allow any company in the state to follow the same model without falling into legal gray areas.
However, not everyone is in favor of this move.
Public health activists have raised concerns about the effects of smoking marijuana in restaurants on lung health.
“Secondhand marijuana smoke contains many of the same carcinogens and toxic chemicals as secondhand tobacco smoke,” said a statement from the American Cancer Society's advocacy arm.
This new law “undermines the state's smoke-free restaurant law and jeopardizes its enforcement, thus eliminating decades of hard-won protections for everyone's right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.” There is a risk of being pushed back.”
California, in particular, banned smoking in bars and restaurants about 30 years ago, becoming the first U.S. state to do so.
Newsom vetoed a different version of the bill last year, citing health concerns.
But a new law signed Monday includes conditions to ensure that employees at cannabis cafes wear masks to protect themselves and are informed about the dangers of inhaling second-hand cannabis smoke. are.
