San Diego is Considering Cannabis Cafes

By Austin Schoonmaker | April 7, 2019

First, it was San Francisco implementing Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes in the city, and now San Diego could be closely following behind. Officials in San Diego are considering allowing for new establishments where customers would be able to purchase and consume legal marijuana products.

“When we have a cool place like this where people can gather and participate in the legal market, that’s ultimately going to take people away from the illicit market and bring revenue back to the city,” Dallin Young, board member for the Association for Cannabis Professionals, told The San Diego Economic Development Committee last week, according to NBCNews San Diego.

So far, the cannabis tax revenues for the state of California have been much lower than expected. By allowing for on-site establishments where people could purchase and consume cannabis, it could spelll a sharp increase for overall tex revenues and cannabis tourism. It would also help solve the question of where people are allowed to consume cannabis if they wish to partake in it in California. Currently, public consumption is illegal, and most hotels and resorts do not allow for it either.

The idea of a cannabis cafe has received an overall positive approval from residents in San Diego. Residents have said cannabis cafes can be a positive addition in preventing public consumption around younger crowds, as well as be an injection of new job opportunities. It can also serve as a powerful influx of tourism if approved.

Some councilmembers, however, have expressed concern for that the addition of cannabis cafes could bring in more drug-impaired driving. Scott Chipman, a representative of San Diegans for Safe Neighborhoods, said the cafes “…economic benefit would be outweighed by the cost.” He says cannabis is already resulting in “..spending way more on pot enforcement, impaired driving, medical bills and other things than the economic revenue and taxes coming in.”

As of now, the city council will continue to deliberate on the approval of cannabis cafes. Until then, research will continue to be gathered to deliberate the efficacy of such establishments.