Gavin Newsom Signs Bill to Create Marijuana Cafés in California

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a law this week that will allow the creation of Amsterdam-style marijuana cafés, after vetoing a similar measure last year due to concerns about smoking in public places.

The bill, AB 1775,

would authorize a local jurisdiction, if specified conditions are met, to allow for the preparation or sale of noncannabis food or beverage products, as specified, by a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, and to allow, and to sell tickets for, live musical or other performances on the premises of a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported:

Last year, Newsom vetoed an earlier version of the bill, writing in his veto message that the bill could “undermine California’s long-standing smoke-free workplace protections.”

This iteration, which passed the Assembly 63-5 and passed the Senate 30-7, contains amendments designed to address public health concerns, according to Senator Benjamin Allen, who co-sponsored the legislation. The United Commercial and Food Workers union backed the bill, according to Haney’s office.

Those amendments include requirements for cafes to post warnings that cannabis consumption will occur on site, requiring employers to include secondhand smoke and workplace hazard evaluations, and for local governments to consider ventilation and filtration requirements when permitting cafes.

MJBizDaily notes that Newsom vetoed another bill that would have allowed marijuana farmers to sell directly to the public.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.