The American Cancer Society (ACS) is calling on California Governor Gavin Newsom to veto legislation that would legalize marijuana cafés, despite a lack of scientific evidence linking secondhand marijuana smoke to increased cancer risks.
Late last month, California’s Legislature approved Assembly Bill 1775, sending it to Governor Newsom. The proposed law 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.”
In a press release sent this week, the ACS says “Cancer advocates across the state urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto the bill because it violates Proposition 64, which explicitly states that smoking marijuana is prohibited wherever smoking tobacco is prohibited. This bill would also undermine the state’s smoke-free restaurants law and compromise its enforcement, thus threatening to roll back decades of hard-won protections of everyone’s right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.”
Jim Knox, California managing director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), said “Nearly thirty years ago, California boldly forged the path to protect everyone from the dangers of secondhand smoke when it became the first state in the nation to prohibit smoking in almost every indoor public space. As Americans are now using marijuana at higher rates than cigarettes and alcohol, California has the opportunity to reaffirm its role as a champion for public health. To do so, it must build upon smoke-free policies, not weaken them.”
He continues by saying “Smoke-free laws are popular because they work. They have played a pivotal role in slashing smoking rates and bringing overall tobacco use to historically low levels. They have helped create a cultural shift around smoking indoors, contributing to reduced tobacco use initiation, especially among youth, and increased quit attempts by people who smoke. We cannot jeopardize the progress we’ve made in creating safe, smoke-free environments and reducing tobacco-related health disparities by making exceptions to well-established laws in the name of the marijuana industry’s interests.”
The ACS finishes their press release by stating “We urge Gov. Newsom to reject this egregious effort to prioritize profit over health and veto Assembly Bill 1775.”
State Representative Matt Haney (D) says “Cannabis cafes in the Netherlands capitalize on the social experience of cannabis by offering coffee, food, and live music. All of those opportunities are currently illegal under California law.’ [This bill] will allow struggling cannabis businesses to diversify away from the marijuana-only ‘dispensary’ model and bring much-needed tourist dollars into empty downtowns”.
Under current California law, cannabis consumption lounges are not allowed to sell freshly prepared food, a rule that many call arbitrary and unnecessary. A November 2022 rules change allowed lounges to offer prepackaged food and beverages on a limited basis, but nothing freshly made or beverages ready to be consumed without opening.
If the measure is passed by the Senate through a third reading and the Assembly concurs with the Senate’s amendments, it will be sent to Governor Gavin Newson. In October, Newsom vetoed a similar bill. Despite this, Rep. Haney says he’s been told by the governor that “there’s a path forward” for the new iteration of the measure being enacted into law.
