California lawmakers have passed a bill allowing cannabis dispensaries to operate like the marijuana cafe in Amsterdam, where customers can consume products on-site, order food, and socialize with other customers.
The bill is supported by the legal marijuana industry as part of an effort to help struggling licensed retailers compete with the illegal marijuana market that has persisted despite cannabis being legalized in the state.
of Los Angeles Times Reported Thursday:
The bill is sponsored by the California Nightlife Association and California NORML, a chapter of a national organization that advocates for cannabis law reform, which argues that California's current dispensary policies have “replaced the social aspect of Amsterdam's cannabis scene with dispensary-like businesses where customers simply order cannabis over the counter and leave without purchasing anything else.”
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Newsom Rejected The bill, which is almost identical to last year's cannabis cafe bill, say He was concerned about the potential impact to California's “long-standing workplace smoke-free protections.”
A new amendment added by the Senate this month appears aimed at addressing Governor Newsom's concerns, clarifying that if a city chooses to impose ventilation standards, the system must be strong enough to “prevent the spread of smoke or odors to other parts of the building in which the consumption lounge is located or to adjacent buildings or grounds.”
This bill: AB 1775The bill, introduced by Rep. Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), would also allow cannabis stores to “sell tickets to live musical or other performances” on the premises of licensed retailers and small businesses in areas where cannabis use is permitted.
It's not yet clear whether Gov. Gavin Newsom will sign the bill, as he also must make decisions on a host of other bills, including one to regulate artificial intelligence and another that would allow undocumented first-time homebuyers to qualify for state mortgages of up to $150,000.
Joel B. Pollack is executive editor of Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday The show airs Sunday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. (4 to 7 p.m. ET) on SiriusXM Patriot. He is the author of “Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” which is available for preorder on Amazon. He also wrote,Trumpian virtue: The lessons and legacy of Donald Trump's presidency” is available on Audible. He is the 2018 recipient of the Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter. Joel Pollack.
