California to Allow Cannabis Cafes

As in the Netherlands, it will soon be possible to consume cannabis in specially dedicated Californian cafes. The measure will be effective from January 1, 2025.

Smoking a joint, eating a burger or sipping a Coke: this was previously prohibited in California, despite the legalization of marijuana. But the American state has just adopted a law that will authorize cafes dedicated mainly to cannabis, as in the Netherlands.

The text, promulgated this Monday, September 30 by the Democratic governor Gavin Newsom, will come into force on January 1. It authorizes businesses selling cannabis to serve hot dishes and non-alcoholic drinks.

Local economy shaken by the law

California legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, but dispensaries that sell it remain far less popular than the black market.

"Right now, our small marijuana businesses are struggling to compete with illegal drug dealers who don't follow the law and don't pay taxes," said the bill's author, Matt Haney, in welcoming its passage.

"For the legal cannabis market to survive and thrive in California, we need to allow them to adapt, innovate, and offer products and experiences that customers want," the congressman added.

Help "roll back the illegal market"

Near Los Angeles, the small city of West Hollywood has been calling for this change in legislation for several years.

This progressive enclave hopes to compete with Amsterdam and did not wait for the law to start offering a kind of "cannabis lounges" in a dedicated village, where dispensaries are attached to separate bars or restaurants. The new law will put an end to this gray area and give all California businesses the opportunity to adopt a clear model.

However, its opponents are concerned about its effect on health, in this pioneering state that has banned smoking in bars and restaurants for almost 30 years.

 The governor vetoed an earlier bill last year over health concerns. The version approved Monday, Sept. 30, includes additional measures to allow employees at these cafes to wear masks and to be informed about the risks associated with secondhand inhalation of cannabis smoke.

"Cannabis smoke contains many of the same carcinogens and toxic substances as tobacco smoke," the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network said in a statement. The law will "roll back decades of protecting everyone's right to breathe clean air," the organization said.