Amsterdam’s coffeeshops, both places of sale and consumption of cannabis but also of drinks and food not necessarily infused, have always been the envy of people. From there to give ideas to California?
A California lawmaker has proposed allowing the state’s cannabis “consumer lounges” to sell freshly prepared food and drink and to host events. The measure, Assembly Bill 374 (AB 374), was introduced last week by Democratic Assemblyman Matt Haney.
Bill provides new opportunities for consumer fairs
According to California law, cannabis parlors are not allowed to sell freshly prepared edibles to their patrons. A rule change passed in November 2022 allows salons to offer pre-packaged food and beverages and customers to bring their own freshly prepared products, but businesses themselves are barred from serving most non-food products. -infused to their customers.
“A lot of people want to enjoy legal cannabis in the company of other people. And a lot of people want to do it while sipping coffee, eating a scone or listening to music,” Mr. Haney said in a statement.
“There is absolutely no good reason, from an economic, health or security point of view, for the state to make this illegal. If a licensed cannabis retail store also wants to sell a cup of coffee and a sandwich, we should allow cities to make that possible and stop holding back these small businesses. »
The bill would not allow cannabis parlors to sell alcoholic beverages. Additionally, Haney noted that the proposal is limited to licensed consumer lounges and does not allow other types of businesses to enter the legal cannabis market.
“To be clear, we’re not saying cafes should be allowed to sell cannabis,” Haney said. “We say cannabis stores should be allowed to sell coffee. It should not be illegal for an existing cannabis business to restrict itself to the sole sale of cannabis and have the opportunity to grow, prosper and create jobs by offering coffee or live jazz. »
