California governor signs law allowing Dutch-style cannabis cafes

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday that allows businesses that are already licensed to sell cannabis to serve hot food and soft drinks.

It will enter into force on January 1, 2025.

California legalized recreational cannabis in 2016, but dispensaries that sell the substance legally remain less popular than the black market.

“Right now, our small cannabis businesses are struggling to compete with illegal drug sellers who don’t follow the law and don’t pay taxes,” said state Rep. Matt Haney, the bill’s author.

“To ensure that the legal cannabis market can survive and thrive in California, we must allow them to adapt, innovate and deliver products and experiences that customers want,” Haney continued.

Some cities like West Hollywood, near Los Angeles, have been calling for such legislation for years.

The liberal enclave hopes to compete with Amsterdam and already hosts “cannabis lounges”, where dispensaries are attached to separate bars or restaurants.

Now, the law will allow any business in the state to follow the same model without entering a legal gray area.

Not everyone is in favor of the move, however.

Public health advocates have raised concerns about the effect smoking cannabis in restaurants can have on lung health.

“Secondhand marijuana smoke has many of the same carcinogens and toxic chemicals as secondhand tobacco smoke,” the advocacy arm of the American Cancer Society said in a statement.

The new law “undermines the state’s smoke-free restaurant law and undermines its enforcement, threatening to undo decades of hard-won protections for everyone’s right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.”

California banned smoking in bars and restaurants nearly 30 years ago, the first US state to do so.

Newsom vetoed a different version of the bill last year, citing health concerns.

However, the new version of the law signed Monday will include parameters to ensure that employees in cannabis cafes can wear masks to protect themselves and be informed about the risks of inhaling second-hand cannabis smoke.