California legalized medical marijuana in 1996 and recreational marijuana sales and consumption 20 years later. On Monday, the Golden State legalized cannabis lounges where customers can purchase marijuana and then stay for food and live shows.
Although marijuana remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance at the federal level, cannabis is legal for recreational use in 24 states and capital cities, and medical marijuana has been approved in 37 states.
San Francisco-based Congressman Matt Haney, who sponsored AB 374, announced Monday morning that California Governor Gavin Newsom had signed the bill.
“Many people want to enjoy legal cannabis in the company of others,” Haney said in a news release Monday. With it finally legal in California, there is no doubt that cannabis cafes will bring economic, cultural, and creative opportunities and benefits to the state. California is once again leading the way in supporting legal and safe cannabis businesses and culture. ”
The law is expected to come into force on January 1, 2025, pending local government approval.
We may know by the end of September whether California Governor Gavin Newsom will give the green light. He vetoed a similar proposal last year. NBC 7's Dave Summers explains what such a business looks like.
In 2021, several places around California, including National City, passed ordinances allowing the establishment of consumable cafes, but legal approval has been delayed at the state level.
That all changed this year when the state Senate and Assembly passed AB 374, legalizing lounges, and Newsom signed the bill on Monday.
Newsom vetoed a similar bill last year, citing concerns about protections for frontline workers.
“We appreciate the author's intent to provide cannabis retailers with expanded business opportunities and a means to attract new customers,” Newsom wrote in part in his veto message, signed in October 2023. said. Protecting the health and safety of workers is paramount, as it could undermine California's long-standing anti-smoking workplace protections, and we recommend that future legislation address this concern. ”
This is exactly what Haney said when he drafted AB 1775 this year.
“…Mr. Haney reintroduced this bill with support from the Commercial and Food Workers Union to ensure cannabis lounge employees are protected from the effects of second-hand smoke in the workplace,” Haney's office said. said in a news release issued last week.
Haney's office says the state is making strides in cannabis culture, but hasn't caught up with, say, Amsterdam.
“In the Netherlands…cannabis cafes thrive as part of the unique social fabric of cities, exploiting the social nature of cannabis through coffee, food, and live music, but these opportunities are currently prohibited under California law. It is illegal,” the news said. the release noted.
Under AB 1775, cannabis cafes will be able to sell cannabis-free food and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as host live music.
Local researchers have found a link between cannabis users and lack of work.
National City cannabis lounge operators react
Passage of AB 1775 is supported by Alex Ayon, whose Sessions by the Bay cannabis lounge in National City (operated in partnership with the Sycuan Tribal Development Corporation) will open in December It is planned.
“We're very happy,” Ayon told NBC 7 last month. “This is a long-awaited development for the cannabis industry. We are very happy about this,” he added, adding, “While cannabis has been legal for some time, there have been no regulations on where people can consume it. Here are some guidelines to help people understand where they can consume responsibly. ”
The approximately 16,000 square foot two-story lounge is located in the city's tourism and commercial zone at 700 Bay Marina Drive, the former location of California College San Diego.
Ayon said he's not worried about the possibility of other cafes being added to San Diego's cannabis space.
“This doesn't create any immediate competition for us,” Ayon said. “Cities still get to decide where lounges are allowed to exist. A big reason cities are reluctant to allow lounges is because states don't provide any framework or oversight for these types of businesses. Because it wasn't.”
Ayon argued there were also risks in not legalizing lounges.
“We're hopeful that the city will become more open. This is good for the industry as a whole, not just for the industry but for the community as a whole,” Ayon said. “Not having space for safe consumption has a number of consequences.”
