Tag: equity

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Could cannabis consumption lounges be a thing in Sacramento? City leaders mull idea

The city of Sacramento is looking into potentially allowing cannabis consumption lounges at dispensaries in the city.

This means that onsite consumption of cannabis would be a possibility for Sacramentans.

A possible pilot program was discussed at Tuesday’s council meeting, leading local cannabis business owners to jump at the idea.

Maisha Bahati, CEO of Crystal Nugs, is opening up a new two-story dispensary in the heart of midtown Sacramento and she’s ahead of the game.

Bahati let KCRA 3 into her building, which has a lounge for cannabis consumption almost ready to go.

“We secured this space almost two years ago when we found out that we received one of the 10 equity dispensaries in Sacramento,” Bahati said.

However, the city of Sacramento still has to develop the potential ordinance change that authorizes social consumption consistent with what state law allows and it will include feedback on public safety from communities that have already established “consumption lounges,” before a pilot program is launched.

The city council meeting heard from over three dozen residents — most of whom supported social lounges for cannabis consumption.

“Some people can’t consume at home. Some people can’t consume in their apartments or in their rental homes. And so, where are they doing? They’re kind of out in front of everyone and now everyone is affected. So allowing social consumption lounges is going to really make a mark on Sacramento,” Bahati said.

Conversations about the consumption lounges will return to the law and legislation Committee in the coming months.

Other cities that already have cannabis consumption lounge areas are Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Coachella, and San Francisco.

Right now, those facilities aren’t expressly allowed to prepare non-cannabis food and drinks.

But California lawmakers recently passed a bill that would allow cannabis consumption facilities to serve “non-cannabis food or beverage products” like cafes in Amsterdam. The bill, which would also allow ticketed entertainment events at the facilities, is on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Maricela De La Cruz

Reporter

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Sacramento Announces 10 Finalists For New Cannabis Shop Permits

Sacramento’s growing marijuana industry is about to get even bigger.

On Thursday, city leaders announced the finalists for ten new pot shop permits. The demand for these licenses is huge and big money is at stake.

Maisha Bahati just learned she is among the ten budding business people selected for the City of Sacramento’s new cannabis permits.

“It was insane. We were so excited, we had gone out and bought champagne last night just in case,” Bahati said.

More than 100 people applied for the coveted licenses, which would allow them to open a marijuana storefront dispensary.

“They gross anywhere from 4 to 8 million dollars a year,” said Davina Smith, the Sacramento City Cannabis Director.

Sacramento currently only allows 30 cannabis shops – and none are black-owned. These ten new licenses are an effort to diversify the marketplace. Applicants were judged not only on their business plans but on their personal stories.

“The drug war impacted me in some profound ways,” said Malaki Seku Amen, a cannabis business applicant.

He says his father was a casualty of marijuana criminalization.

“He was working to prevent the violence caused by the drug war and he was shot and killed,” Seku Amen said.

And others who were selected have been on the wrong side of the law in the past. But these ten lucky finalists still have a lot of work to do.

“They’re celebrating tonight but the work starts tomorrow because they have to go through every step of the permitting process that anyone else would,” Smith said, and later added, “people could be opening in six months. It could take others two years.”

Many hope the new infusion of income will benefit Sacramento’s economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

“We’re going to pull from our community, we’re going to hire women, it’s just going to be a diverse business, something that’s different from what’s out there now,” Seku Amen said.

Sacramento places a 4% tax on all cannabis products sold in the city. That’s expected to generate about 17 million dollars this year.