Earlier today, California Governor Gavin Newsom rejected Assembly Bill 374, which proposed the legalization of Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes in California. The bill endorsed cannabis consumption in these cafes alongside food and beverages, as KTLA reports.
Despite the existence of businesses that operate under similar concepts, they bypass current legislation through legal loopholes. Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) authored the bill, with hopes to aid ailing cannabis businesses by diversifying their portfolios and atracting tourists to desolate city centers, CBS San Francisco reports.
In an announcement of his veto, Governor Newsom shared his concerns that this legislation could potentially to weaken California's firmly established smoke-free workplace laws. "Protecting the health and safety of workers remains a priority,” he wrote, “ I urge the author to address this issue in future legislation."
It was not the first time for Governor Newsom, to veto bills such as this. According to ABC7, he has vetoed other bills concerning the decriminalization of psychedelics.
In reaction to Governor Newsom's veto, Assemblymember Haney expressed, "Californians are proud of our state's wine culture, and we do everything we can to make sure that our winemakers receive the support they need—we need to be doing the exact same thing for cannabis. If we don't start better supporting these businesses we are going to lose decades of being at the forefront of the cannabis movement and other states will be ready to swoop in and take it from us," CBS San Francisco reported.
