Yo, what’s good fam? If you ain’t heard, California just flipped the script on that green game! The Senate just gave a big ole thumbs up to a couple of dope bills that gonna let small weed growers sell their goods straight to the people at farmers markets, plus they gonna legalize cannabis cafes too. Yeah, you heard that right!
On a fresh Tuesday, them senators gathered up, and it was a 27-5 vote to push through the farmers market hustle led by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin. Then they kept it rollin’ with a 30-7 vote for the cannabis cafe idea from Assemblymember Matt Haney. Straight up, they makin’ moves!
Now, check it. This bill ain’t just about slingin’ weed next to farmer’s tomatoes and apples. They talkin’ ’bout allowing folks to light it up on the spot at approved events. But hold up! They still gotta get that local and state stamp of approval before they can just pop up at any old market. Gotta be legit, you feel me?
So, here’s how it breaks down: the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) gonna be handin’ out these “state temporary event licenses.” Basically, if you’re 21 and up, you can roll through and buy some of that good green at certain spots the locals say is cool. But don’t get it twisted; this is only for the small growers, the ones who ain’t got more than an acre of that cannabis lovin’ growing in their backyard.
Gina Coleman from Weedmaps said it best, “As a farmer’s daughter, knowing the importance of having that direct relationship with the consumer, this allows cannabis farmers to be able to sell at authorized events—cannabis directly to the sellers—bringing the stock right to the person.” That’s real talk!
Now, if you wanna get in on this event license game, you gotta be a legit small-time grower. That means no more than an acre of weed, or if you got mixed-light tier licenses, you can’t be flexing more than 22,000 square feet. Keep it small and local, ya dig?
This new law builds on a 2018 move that gave the green light for temporary marijuana event licenses where local governments were cool with it. This year, for the first time ever, they even had weed sales and smoking at the California State Fair! Big moves, ya know?
But wait, there’s more! Haney’s separate bill is all about those chill cannabis cafes where you can vibe, munch on some food, and sip on some non-alcoholic drinks while smoking that herb. They even tryna host live events like concerts if the local folks say it’s cool.
Now, remember a while back when Governor Gavin Newsom shot down a previous version of this bill? He was worried it might mess with California’s smoke-free workplace rules. So, they came back with some adjustments, makin’ sure there’s a solid barrier between where folks can smoke and where they cookin’ up them nachos, ya feel me?
They also made it so local places gotta think about good ventilation and all that. And employees? They can rock masks, and the bosses gotta cover that. No one tryna breathe in that smoke while whipping up your order!
Plus, they ain’t havin’ no loiterin’ around these cafes. The license holders gotta keep it tight and make sure nobody’s hangin’ around outside acting up.
Senator Ben Allen hit it on the head when he said the old rules made it hard for businesses to keep it poppin’. Now, with these new rules, they can finally offer that full experience without all the extra hassles.
But hold up! This still gotta bounce back to the Assembly for final approval after all these changes. And local governments got the say-so on whether they wanna let these cannabis cafes roll through or not. Ain’t no automatic yes here!
Oh, and one more thing: anything made with hemp ain’t gonna be considered “non-cannabis” in these cafes. They gotta keep that stuff separate from the weed, like it’s a whole different party.
So, in the meantime, California’s doing some cool research on different marijuana strains to keep the history alive and thriving. They tryna make sure the legacy of the Emerald Triangle stays fresh for the future.
But, not everything’s smooth sailing. A plan the governor had to shake things up in the weed and hemp markets kinda fell flat. It didn’t make it to a vote, and folks ain’t too happy ’bout that. It was supposed to tighten up those regulations on hemp and make sure everything’s straight, but it didn’t happen. Tough break!
So yeah, California is about to be lit with these new laws. Farmers markets and dope cafes? It’s a whole new world out here. Keep your eyes peeled and your wallets ready!