This week, in a historic move for Cannabis regulations, the Sacramento City Council approved a pilot program that would allow 40 new consumption cafes to open inside dispensaries.
The result of years of work from members of the council, this new program allows for the creation of two different types of consumption spaces. The first type allows dispensaries to sell THC-infused food and beverages. The other type creates a vibe similar to Amsterdam’s coffeeshops, where patrons are allowed to smoke Cannabis at the club. Both licenses allow pre-packaged THC-free snacks to be served.
The controversial proposal has faced an uphill battle to get to this point. It narrowly passed the council 5-4 after Mayor Darrell Steinberg cast the deciding vote on Tuesday, per CBS News. Arguments against the program included issues of public safety and air quality. Some people who showed up to give public comments on the proposal mentioned how the current situation leaves little recourse for individuals who don’t own their homes and are subject to rental agreements that prohibit smoking Cannabis.
Councilman Eric Guerra, of Sacramento’s 6th District, has previously stated that he doesn’t feel the absence of a legally approved space to consume Cannabis necessitates the creation of lounges any more than it would for fentanyl. Guerra equated the public consumption of fentanyl with that of Cannabis, calling it “the same issue.” The councilman is arguably the most vocal opponent of the proposal as he has also stated that lounges normalize Cannabis consumption — a statement that seems ironic being made in the same city that hosted Cannabis awards at the State Fair just months ago.
Isaac Altamirano, who co-owned the 1111 social club in Sacramento, told Leaf Magazine, “It’s a new chapter, new challenges and a positive future for the Cannabis community in Sacramento.” Altamirano helped create a groundbreaking community space that even nearby city governments have visited to see how they could draft consumption guidelines for their jurisdictions.
Since being forced to close, Altamirano and his two partners in 1111 have been waiting for the city to reconsider allowing these types of spaces, saying, “We have fought for years to accomplish this, having consumption language in the city code will bring a new frontier of opportunities!”
