Lost in the jubilation over the start of adult use cannabis sales in California is a sad reality: new rules radically curtail cannabis events and limit them to a few county fairgrounds scattered across the state.
Imagine if there were only about a dozen places to watch a concert with a beer — in a state of 38 million people. That’s the current situation for marijuana, but it may change under a new bill introduced in the California legislature last week that could shatter the event space monopoly, allowing for licensed versions of the diverse medical cannabis parties of years past.
Assembly Bill 2020 authored by Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) would make it legal to hold events where cannabis can be sold and consumed, as long as local government approves. That could enable licensed cannabis farmers’ markets in places like Oakland, and tastings in Wine Country.
