Smoking Cannabis in a West Hollywood Consumption Lounge Just Got Easier

As cannabis consumption lounges make their way into West Hollywood this year, a new California State Assembly Bill will ensure these businesses stay within the law. Assembly Bill 1465 will create a number of new regulations for cannabis consumption lounges that allows smoking, vaping, and eating edibles. Currently, regulations for this type of business does not exist.

Since Proposition 64 or Adult Use of Marijuana Act was passed in 2016, new regulations continued to filter from Sacramento to California cities. As local governments adapt to legal cannabis adult use, new bills are frequently introduced to address new innovations, business concerns, or issues within the cannabis industry.

Richard Bloom is the Democratic Assemblyman from Santa Monica who introduced the bill in February, in hopes of producing state regulations for cannabis consumption laws. Cities like West Hollywood have been flying blind with little or no guidance in the budding cannabis restaurant industry.

West Hollywood’s Community and Legislative Affairs Manager John Leonard suggested that the initial roll-out process for cannabis could have been more streamlined, according to ABC-10. Leonard also believes AB 1465 might eliminate the conflicts between state and local cannabis regulations.

AB 1465 is a legitimizing presence for cannabis consumption lounges and consumers. To start, the bill approves consumers to legally ingest cannabis products at a designated consumption lounge or cafe. If passed, the bill will provide West Hollywood with the freedom to create its own regulations for consumption lounges, while creating a new consumption cafe/lounge license for the sale of and onsite use of cannabis. There’s an extra step and license as well, a licensed retailer would be required to apply for a consumption cafe/lounge designation as well.

AB 1465 remains in committee and was amended as recently as last week. It still requires a two-thirds vote from the California Assembly. Read the full text of AB 1465.

• Cannabis Cafes: How they could be easier for cities to regulate [ABC-10]
• West Hollywood’s First-Ever Cannabis Restaurant Will Have a Gorgeous Open Rooftop [ELA]