This bill would allow cannabis cafés
A California bill that would allow cannabis dispensaries to operate as Amsterdam-style cafés passed in the state’s lower house Monday, signaling the revised measure could go farther than its vetoed predecessor.
The measure would authorize existing legal cannabis dispensaries to sell food and non-alcoholic beverages alongside their rolls, edibles and flowers, mirroring the Netherlands’ famed cafés that have long been tourist magnets.
“These are already existing cannabis dispensaries that can allow smoking indoors,” Haney said in a January interview with Oakland’s Fox KTVU. “Really illogically, the state prohibits them from selling anything other than cannabis — they aren’t allowed to sell coffee. . . sandwiches or muffins. The result of that is a huge missed opportunity for our state.”
It marks the second effort by the bill’s author, California Assemblymember Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, after Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the 2023 version over second-hand smoke workplace safety concerns. But with revisions made to address the governor’s prior objections, the bill is currently in the process of collecting legislature approval before it once again heads to Newsom’s desk.
As host to the largest number of dispensaries in the country, California has often been a leader in cannabis policy and was the first state to legalize medical marijuana more than 15 years ago. Recreational marijuana use has been legal in the Golden State since November 2016.
What is — and isn’t — allowed in California’s proposed cannabis cafés?
Hoping to sidestep a second veto, Haney’s bill now includes stricter regulations for the food-service side of the cannabis café. Proposed regulations include prohibiting customers or employees from smoking or vaping cannabis products in food preparation, food storage or washing areas, and requiring non-cannabis food and beverages be kept separate in order to prevent contamination.
Those used to the regulations governing the state’s more than 3,600 dispensaries will not see much change on the cannabis-side of things.
Though these cafes would essentially blend a dispensary with a food and beverage establishment, the existing restrictions around purchasing and consuming cannabis would remain in effect. That means only those 21 or older can visit, alcohol and tobacco cannot be purchased alongside marijuana products and customers enjoying any cannabis product cannot do so in spaces visible to the public.
Like the establishments peppering Amsterdam’s famed canals, California’s proposed cafés would look a lot like any other small restaurant. Of course, the difference being visitors could smoke or otherwise consume cannabis as they enjoy their coffee, tea or plate of fries. These spots could also host music events or other performances under the state’s proposed law.
In fact, a cannabis-friendly café is not entirely foreign to Californians, especially if they live in West Hollywood. The city in 2018 launched a cannabis “lounge” program, opening the door to the establishment of the country’s first cannabis café-style business. At the Cannabis Café — once called the Lowell Café — patrons can pair their orders of tacos, burgers or wings with a range of cannabis products, from a pre-roll or edible to infused beverages or concentrates.
However, the café is unique for a reason, as the city allows it to operate as a dispensary at the state level while operating as a “cannabis consumption lounge” on the city level.
Bipartisan support as California’s legal weed industry battles black market
The bill passed in the state’s lower house by a 58-6 vote with 16 abstaining or otherwise not recording a vote. Last year the first iteration of the measure also claimed bipartisan support, clearing the Assembly by 66-9 and the Senate 33-3. Yet with remaining questions around permit processes and workplace protections, the measure is not a sure-thing. Concerns over second-hand smoke led the American Heart and the American Lung associations to oppose the bill.
In California, 99% of residents have a dispensary in their county. Should Haney’s bill pass and avoid a second veto, local jurisdictions will have the freedom to give out permits for cannabis cafés if they so choose. As Haney and other supporters of the bill argue, this could create a boon for a legal industry that has struggled to remain competitive against a robust black market.
Buckling under failing dispensary businesses and a buyer market that still heavily favors illegal marijuana, the state’s cannabis control arm launched a campaign to encourage Californians to buy weed legally from licensed dispensaries. In recent years the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration has resorted to seizing and selling assets from dozens of legal businesses over back-taxes.
The hope is that the cafés would draw locals and tourists alike, injecting more life into the legal industry and giving businesses opportunity for more profit.
“We know people come to California to enjoy our wine industry, they can come to California for cannabis as well,” Haney said.