The California Senate has approved an Assembly-passed bill to legalize marijuana cafes, allowing dispensaries to offer non-cannabis food and drinks at their location if they receive local approval.
The Senate advanced the legislation from Assemblymember Matt Haney (D) in a 33-3 vote on Thursday. Because it was slightly amended in a Senate committee, it must return to the Assembly for a concurrence vote before potentially heading to the governor’s desk.
Haney touted the “strong bipartisan support” the measure received on Thursday and said that concurrence would be a “quick” process.
My bill, AB 374, to allow for Cannabis Cafes in California just passed out of the Senate 33-3! Strong bipartisan support. A quick concurrence vote in the Assembly soon and then on to the Governor!
The bill will allow local governments to permit existing cannabis small… pic.twitter.com/RblZO3ubUl
— Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF) September 7, 2023
AB 374 would allow local governments to authorize cannabis consumption lounges to prepare and sell non-cannabis foods and soft drinks at their facilities. The sale of alcoholic beverages at the cannabis cafes would continue to be prohibited, as would smoking tobacco.
The legislation would further explicitly authorize “live musical or other performances on the premises of a retailer or microbusiness licensed under this division in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, and the sale of tickets for those…
