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Weed consumption lounges in Sacramento on hold for now.
A plan to allow legal marijuana use in Sacramento lounges has stalled. The consumption lounge plan was halted after City Council Law and Legislation Committee chairman Jay Schenirer refused to discuss the proposal, even while part of the committee’s agenda. “I personally have not heard and have not talked to a lot of council members about this,” he said, “but have not seen a lot of desire to move this item at this point in Sacramento.”
Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela, member of the law and legislation committee, said she plans to ask the full city council at its May 24 meeting to reconsider discussion on the matter in order to send the issue back. Valenzuela told The Sacramento Bee that the consumption lounges would be connected to marijuana dispensaries and would offer customers a chance to sample and make choices among a wide variety of products, increasing business for the dispensaries and sales tax revenue to the city. The councilwoman also said the lounges would be a positive for people who can’t smoke at home, such as a mother with a young child. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not,”she said of the consumption lounges, “I want to have a conversation and think it could be an interesting thing for us to consider bringing to the city.“
Sacramento’s Cannabis Manager Davina Smith had already proposed that the council consider the consumption lounges, part of a series of recommendations on how the city regulates dispensaries and other cannabis-related businesses.