Cannabis lounge pilot program advances in Sacramento city council. What’s next?
City council members voted to advance cannabis lounges in Sacramento, setting the stage for a new test case for the region’s industry.
The ordinance passed by a 5-4 vote, despite weeks of steady opposition from Councilmember Eric Guerra and public health organizations. Guerra — along with representatives from the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society — raised concerns about the effects of secondhand smoke on the lounges’ patrons, employees and neighbors.
More than 100 people filled city council chambers Tuesday afternoon. Forty-one gave public comments on the ordinance, including business owners and advocates pushing for the program, and public health advocates who opposed it.
Elected officials have considered such an ordinance for years.
“This has been a long haul,” Councilmember Katie Valenzuela said during the meeting.
The city expects that permits will be issued after the council considers cannabis land-use and zoning amendments, expected in early 2025, according to city spokesperson Julie Hall. After that point, other administrative steps, including a fee study, will follow. Permits would likely be issued in spring or summer.
The vote outcome appeared uncertain until late in the Tuesday meeting. It became clear that Mayor Darrell Steinberg would pass the deciding vote. He expressed his uncertainty, and queried the councilmembers who had seen the ordinance through committee.
“This is one of the rare instances where my heart and head are not together,” Steinberg said. “Every public policy decision we make ought to further restrict smoke.”
But, he continued, “When I actually take the arguments the opponents have made here... The ‘no’ argument does not stand up for me.”
Ultimately, he said, he was swayed by an issue raised several times throughout the meeting, that homeowners are able to legally smoke cannabis at their own residences, while renters usually cannot, due to provisions in lease agreements.
Valenzuela said after the meeting that while the passage of the ordinance sets the policy in place for the lounges, the city still needs to complete a study to determine the potential fees for businesses that get permits for on-site consumption.
“I’m pleased that we’re going to try this,” Valenzuela said.
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 5:32 PM.
