California Assembly approves drive-in cannabis dispensaries«

L’California Assembly approved a bill that would allow cannabis dispensaries to set up drive-throughs.

Passed on May 12 by a vote of 55 to 9, Assembly Bill 2697 would authorize licensed retailers and micro-businesses with a storefront to sell cannabis products customers directly from their vehicles via secure drive-thru facilities. The proposal now goes to the California Senate for consideration.

Introduced by Democratic Congresswoman Gail Pellerin, the bill would still require approval from local authorities before companies could implement drive-through services.

Improving access to legal cannabis

Supporters of the legislation argue that this measure would help the legal market for cannabis in California à compete more effectively with illegal operators while improving accessibility for consumers, especially medical patients and the disabled.

Speaking in favor of the bill, Ms. Pellerin said it would «broaden access to legal cannabis products while strengthening the legal market's ability to compete with the illicit market».

She also highlighted the lack of convenient purchasing options currently available to cannabis consumers compared to other retail sectors.

«California cannabis retailers lack a common and accessible transaction method for consumers, unlike so many other retailers in California, including fast food, pharmacies, banks and even liquor stores,» she had previously explained.

Supporters of the bill also explain that some patients face mobility difficulties that make it difficult to access dispensaries. Although home delivery already exists in California, the limitations of the service mean that not all areas are equally covered.

«Cannabis users with mobility problems or other disabilities have few options for obtaining cannabis without having to get out of their vehicle,» said Pellerin.

Under the proposed framework, transactions would be carried out through a secure fixed window fitted with a safety drawer, or a similar transfer system integrated into the dispensary building.

Concerns about impaired driving

The proposal has nonetheless drawn criticism from law enforcement agencies, notably from the California Narcotic Officers’ Association, which argues that drive-in sales could increase risks associated with impaired driving and public safety.

In its statement of opposition, the association said this model «introduces increased risks related to impaired driving, compliance, exposure to crime and road safety».

The organization also pointed out that California doesn't allow drive-through alcohol sales in the same way, and warned that allowing consumers to purchase cannabis products without leaving their vehicles could encourage immediate consumption.

«Drive-in cannabis sales create a direct link between purchase and driving,» the group said.

In particular, critics have expressed concerns about high-powered products and edible products, which they believe could contribute to an increase in impaired driving incidents if consumed shortly after purchase.

Part of California's broader cannabis reforms

This bill comes at a time when the California continues to adjust its cannabis regulations, more than eight years after the launch of legal adult-use recreational sales in the state.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the regulatory authorities had already authorized dispensaries to offer a pick-up service a measure that remains in force. The new proposal would go further, formally integrating drive-through retail infrastructure into the legal framework.

More recently s, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed another bill that would have allowed certain cannabis micro-enterprises to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via carriers such as FedEx or UPS, arguing that the system would be too complex to manage.

If approved by the Senate and signed into law, AB 2697 would make California one of the first legal cannabis markets to explicitly allow drive-through sales in dispensaries.