Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson urges Governor to sign bill for California’s cannabis cafes

Harrelson advocates for new cannabis law that will allow businesses to operate like Amsterdam-style cafes

• Nate Allbee
• (415) 756-0561

SAN FRANCISCO - Hollywood actor and cannabis lounge owner Woody Harrelson calls on Governor Gavin Newsom to sign into law Assemblymember Matt Haney's bill, AB 1775, which would allow licensed cannabis retailers to diversify their businesses to boost California's legal cannabis industry.

In a recorded video, Mr. Harrelson expressed positive sentiment for the Assemblymember Haney's bill, and advocated Governor Gavin Newsom to sign the bill into law.

"We just need a tiny little crumb and that is the ability to sell non-cannabis items in the lounge," said Mr. Harrelson. "I don't see how that hurts anybody. Let's please make this happen."

Mr. Harrelson is the founder and owner of The Woods, a cannabis dispensary and lounge located in the West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Woods offers an outdoors leisure space for customers to consume cannabis purchased from the dispensary.

"I'm seeing all of these dispensaries and lounges closing all over the state. I think Matt Haney's bill is extremely important." Mr. Harrelson, in advocating for AB 1775, pleaded to the Governor. "I hope that Governor Newsom can become a man of the people. I hope that Newsom can do the right thing."

In a press conference at The Woods on Friday, September 6, Assemblymember Haney addressed the State's restrictions on cannabis lounges that his bill would lift.

"There are cannabis lounges that exist all over the state, and right now, they're being prohibited in an arbitrary, misguided way from being able to serve any food or non-alcoholic beverages," said Assemblymember Haney. "And because of that, they're prohibited from diversifying their business."

A previous version of the bill, AB 374, was vetoed last year by Governor Newsom, who urged in his veto message to reintroduce the bill to include more protections for cannabis workers. This year, Assemblymember Haney reintroduced the bill with the support of the United Commercial and Food Workers to ensure cannabis lounge workers are protected from secondhand smoke impacts at work.

"Lots of people want to enjoy legal cannabis in the company of others," said Haney, Chair of the Select Committee on Downtown Recovery. "And many people want to do that while sipping coffee, eating a scone, or listening to music. There's absolutely no good reason from an economic, health or safety standpoint that the state should make that illegal. If an authorized cannabis retail store wants to also sell a cup of coffee and a sandwich, we should allow cities to make that possible and stop holding back these small businesses."

AB 1775 received bipartisan support in both houses of the Legislature, and now sits on the Governor's desk awaiting a signature.