Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes. Loosened rules on tiny home construction. Bans on “outing” LGBTQ students and parking near intersections.
These are a few California laws that will go into effect in 2025, with broad influence on the Golden State’s economy, schools, streets, environment and workplaces. Here are a few of the most impactful. Amsterdam’s famed cannabis “coffeeshops” are coming to California via Assembly Bill 1775 , which allows dispensaries to serve non-cannabis food and drinks to customers who can relax and smoke on the premises.
These new business will officially be known as “cannabis consumption lounges.” San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney, a Democrat, sponsored the law. A counterpart in the state Senate, Scott Wiener, also a Democrat, sponsored Senate Bill 969 .
The law allows cities to create “entertainment zones” where customers can wander while carrying open alcoholic drinks. Wiener pitched the idea as a tool to revitalize cities by removing “needless restrictions.” “Getting people out in the streets to enjoy themselves is critical for communities across our state to bounce back from the pandemic,” he said in a September statement.
A majority of voters passed Proposition 36 in November, which toughens penalties for people repeatedly convicted of shoplifting and drug crimes. It aims to use the threat of jail as leverage to divert more people into behavioral health treatment. The popular new law went into effect on Wednesday.
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