Social use

The California State Fair opened up last week at the Cal Expo site in Sacramento. Attendees aged 21+ can purchase and consume cannabis products from the California industry’s top growers and manufacturers.

The California State Fair announced it will be allowing cannabis retail purchases and consumption in designated areas during the event’s run next month from July 12 to July 28.

Just weeks after the federal legalization of adult-use cannabis in Germany, officials in the southern state of Bavaria have passed rules banning the consumption of cannabis at Oktoberfest and in outdoor beer gardens.

Las Vegas has welcomed its first licensed cannabis consumption lounge, Smoke and Mirrors, marking a significant milestone seven years after Nevada’s legalization of cannabis and offering tourists and locals a legal place to enjoy their purchases.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over the weekend vetoed multiple bills including one to legalize cannabis cafes, another to decriminalize some psychedelic plants, and another containing new cannabis packaging restrictions.

California lawmakers have passed a bill to allow cannabis cafes in the state, sending the proposal to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for final approval.

Officials in St. Louis, Missouri are considering allowing cannabis lounges in the city where patrons could smoke and eat cannabis products on-site.

Hashtoria — the cannabis company co-founded by Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon — was approved by Newark, New Jersey officials to renovate a historic downtown for a cannabis consumption lounge.

Nevada regulators this week awarded the state’s first conditional license for a stand-alone cannabis consumption lounge to La Lounge, LLC.

Malta, which became the first European Union country to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2021, still hasn’t licensed any non-commercial cannabis clubs despite having received 26 applications since the application window opened about four months ago.

The California Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill to allow cannabis cafes in the state.

With multiple EU members looking to legalize cannabis at the national level, the influence of Europe’s cannabis social clubs as the region’s earliest legal retailers is more important than ever.

A recent study found that cannabis appears to have a positive impact on the sex lives of those who consume it.

A California proposal would allow for live performances and the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages at legal cannabis cafe locations.

The cannabis company partially owned by Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon is planning to rehab a historic Newark, New Jersey building for a cannabis consumption lounge.

New York’s emerging adult-use cannabis industry is the most anticipated new market since California and even non-cannabis companies — like the Koffee Kat cafe in Plattsburgh — are adapting to the changing tides.

New Jersey regulators have approved initial rules for cannabis consumption lounges in the state — a 60-day public comment period will follow before the rules can be officially finalized.

The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board has received 100 applications for adult-use consumption lounges.

Las Vegas city officials this week voted 5-1 in favor of allowing cannabis consumption lounges within city limits.

New York officials shut down a private cannabis consumption club in Cheektowaga for operating without a license but the company says no license exists for its business model.

Hightimes Holding Corp. has purchased a cannabis social consumption lounge in California for $6 million in a mostly stock deal although the current stock value for the media company is essentially zero.

Nevada has approved the rules to regulate social consumption lounges within the state and plans to award the first licenses by this fall.