Cannabis cafés are coming to California. This National City business is first in line

Above: Dan Plante’s Oct. 2 report for KUSI on the National City’s soon-to-open cannabis café.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — National City is likely to make history as the city with California’s first-ever cannabis café after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill allowing businesses across the state to offer a smoke-and-eat, “Amsterdam-style” experience.

Sessions by the Bay , located at 700 Bay Marina Drive, had already been in the works for months to open as San Diego County’s inaugural cannabis lounge, where people could have a “smoke sesh” with others.

Plans shifted earlier this week when the governor signed Assembly Bill 1775 into law, allowing cannabis businesses to sell non-cannabis food and drinks. The bill also opens up the ability for these retailers to host concerts and other performances.

“We’re super excited. It’s been a dream of ours to have a lounge. We’ve been in this space for about 15 years,” Alex Ayon, CEO of Sessions by the Bay, told KUSI on Wednesday. “Everything seems to be aligning real well for us, especially with the governor taking action on lounges.”

Now, Ayon says the Sessions by the Bay lounge will be a more all-encompassing experience.

“Prior to this we weren’t really able to provide food to people in a lounge environment, we couldn’t really offer ice or water,” Ayon explained. “It’s something [that], when you’re in a lounge, you’re going to want. You’re going to get hungry, you’re not going to want a cannabis edible to satisfy your hunger. You’re going to want just regular food.”

“Now we’re not just selling a product, we’re providing a full experience and that’s really a big part of cannabis culture in general. People are going to want to smoke and enjoy some activities like music, entertainment and engage with other like-minded individuals in a safe space like this,” he continued.

AB 1775 was the second attempt by lawmakers to make cannabis cafés modeled after those in Amsterdam legal in California. The author of the bill, Asm. Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), penned a similar bill last year, but it was ultimately vetoed by Newsom.

In his veto letter, the governor said he was supportive of the idea for cannabis cafés, but was worried about the bill’s impact on California’s “long-standing smoke-free workplace protections.”

This year’s version of the bill assuaged these concerns by requiring local jurisdictions to ensure the business has adequate ventilation and filtration systems. It also added explicit protection for workers who want to wear face masks to limit exposure to secondhand smoke.

With Newsom’s signature, the measure will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

As for Sessions by the Sea, Ayon said he plans to open the cannabis lounge in mid-December, with food and drink service as soon as the law is in place.

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