☆ Expert: More CA cannabis licensing requirements a step in the wrong direction

Acclaimed Los Angeles cannabis lawyer–analyst Griffen Thorne sat down with Opp Now to break down recently proposed AB 471: In creating and regulating additional cannabis licenses, the bill might just exacerbate locals’ existing red tape—and intrude needlessly on their personal privacy. An Opp Now exclusive.

Concerning cannabis laws in California, any time more opportunities are offered to locals, it’s a good thing. The question is, will AB 471 do a good job of creating opportunities? I’m not so sure.

Essentially, what the state is doing here with AB 471 is creating a license requirement. You can cater cannabis at an event, but you need a license. I’m typically not in favor of licensing requirements at the state level for cannabis. Every year, they try proposing new such laws (such as a failed attempt a few years ago related to party buses).

Under this new bill, if someone wants to rent out a restaurant and hire out a caterer, that’s clearly a private event; but if someone has a house party and asks a friend to bring over cannabis, is that a private event? Under California state law, there are already protections for sharing cannabis for free at your house. The only benefit of this new bill, AB 471, is being allowed to consume cannabis where you can’t already—at non-residential events not open to the public.

Then, my chief concern with AB 471 is this: For parties, will people now need a license to bring cannabis to share with their friends? It’s hard to regulate what exactly a “private event” is (and the term is only vaguely defined in the bill’s text), so there will have to be regulations determining what it is and isn’t.

I think it’s a good thing overall that California is starting to open up cannabis legislation. For instance, another bill (AB 374) proposed around the beginning of this month would expand opportunities for hosting consumption lounges. But it’s California, so I expect them to put their foot in their mouth. I’m not sure AB 471 will go anywhere.

However, if this bill passes and local cities allow it, I imagine it’ll be a headache. And the only people I see benefiting from it is those who have money for the licenses and are willing to endure the headache to get licensed, so they can cater at a private event.

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Image by Elsa Olofsson