When he endorsed marijuana legalization in Florida last August, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump emphasized the importance of regulations to protect bystanders from exposure to pot smoke. "We need the State Legislature to responsibly create laws that prohibit the use of [cannabis] in public spaces," Trump wrote on Truth Social, "so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities." Trump's running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R–Ohio), has expressed similar concerns, saying "we haven't quite figured out how this new regime coexists with not polluting our public spaces."
Expanding the legal options for cannabis consumption outside the home, as California is finally doing eight years after legalizing recreational use, is one promising way to address such complaints. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last year vetoed a bill that would have authorized Amsterdam-style cannabis cafés in California, signed a revised version into law. Assembly Bill 1775 allows dispensaries, with local permission, to sell hot food and nonalcoholic beverages along with marijuana products. Such businesses will also be allowed to host "live musical or other performances," as bars and restaurants that serve alcohol routinely do.
