Assemblymember Matt Haney has reintroduced his popular bill to create Cannabis Cafes in California. AB 1775 empowers cities to choose to allow Cannabis Cafes where Californians can enjoy food, coffee, and entertainment while consuming cannabis.
- Nate Allbee
- (415) 756-0561
Sacramento - San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney has reintroduced his popular bill to create Cannabis Cafes in California. Assembly Bill 1775 empowers cities to choose to allow Amsterdam-style Cannabis Cafes where Californians can enjoy food, coffee, and entertainment while consuming cannabis. Last year the bill sailed through both the Assembly and Senate with broad bipartisan support before being vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom, citing concerns about workers being provided a smoke-free environment. At the Governor’s urging, Haney is in conversations with the Department of Cannabis Control and the Governor's office, to address those concerns and to create a bill that allows Cannabis Cafes but protects workers’ health.
Last year Haney’s AB 374 allowed cannabis dispensaries — with permission from local governments — to convert their businesses into cafes where they could sell food and cannabis products and host live concerts. Although it is currently not illegal in California for customers to smoke or consume cannabis on-site in consumption lounges, it is illegal for dispensaries to sell non-cannabis products like coffee or food. The Cannabis Cafe bill enjoyed broad bi-partisan support in both of California’s legislative houses passing in the Assembly with a final 66 to 9 vote and passing the Senate with a 33 to 3 vote.
The bill was widely seen as an attempt to level the playing field for the highly taxed and regulated legal cannabis industry that is being forced to compete in California with a thriving cannabis black market. The illegal sale of cannabis is extremely profitable in California with illegal sellers choosing to simply ignore costly regulations, product testing, permitting, and taxation. California’s legal cannabis sales reached $4 billion in 2020, while illegal sales are believed to have surpassed $8 billion that same year
“It’s really about fairness and supporting businesses that follow the rules,” said Haney, “If we keep allowing unnecessary regulations to strangle California’s legal cannabis businesses, we’re just encouraging illegal drug sales and all of the problems that come with that.”