Brief

Councilmember Imelda Padilla moved to implement AB 1775 (Haney) cannabis legislation, authorizing temporary cannabis licenses, cannabis events, and consumption lounges in Los Angeles. The full Council adopted the motion 12-0-3 on August 5, 2025. A Department of Cannabis Regulation report was subsequently referred to Government Operations Committee in December 2025, and the item was rereferred to Public Works Committee in August 2026, where it remains pending.

Full summary

Councilmember Imelda Padilla introduced this motion in December 2024, directing the Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) to develop rules for cannabis consumption lounges and temporary event licensing, partly in anticipation of the 2028 Olympics and the related surge in tourism. The motion was enabled by AB 1775 (Haney), a state law that took effect January 1, 2025, and that for the first time explicitly allows local jurisdictions to permit cannabis retailers to sell non-cannabis food and beverages to on-site patrons — essentially authorizing Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes. The Council adopted the motion 12-0-3 on August 5, 2025. In December 2025, DCR submitted a detailed implementation report recommending amendments to Article 4, Chapter X of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. For consumption lounges, DCR recommends a pilot program running through 2030, restricted to existing licensed storefront retailers that also hold a County Department of Public Health Emblem Placard. Lounges would be limited to the retailer's existing premises or an immediately adjacent parcel, using Nevada's definition of adjacency. DCR further proposes two tiers of operating permit: one for edibles and ingestible products only, and a second that also allows smoking and vaping. The two-tier approach is designed to lower the barrier to entry for operators in older buildings who cannot yet afford HVAC upgrades required for indoor inhalation. DCR drew heavily on the practices of West Hollywood, Port Hueneme, Denver, Nevada, Massachusetts, and the Netherlands, with comparable jurisdictions reporting reduced public consumption, lower crime, and increased tax revenue. For cannabis events, DCR notes that many such events already occur in Los Angeles outside the regulated market, generating no city tax revenue and operating without public safety oversight. Rather than creating a new standalone cannabis event permit — which DCR views as a duplicative and unnecessarily high barrier — the department recommends layering cannabis oversight onto the city's existing special event permitting process under LAMC Sections 41.20 and 41.20.1. Under this approach, whichever city department issues the special event permit (LAPD, Bureau of Street Services, etc.) would coordinate with DCR to verify that organizers hold the required state cannabis licenses and that any on-site cannabis sales are made by licensed retailers. DCR also recommends requiring event organizers to submit an Event Equity Plan specifying how they will advance the city's social equity goals, such as by featuring Social Equity-manufactured products, including equity operators as participants, or offering employment training to equity applicants. DCR's December 2025 report was referred to Government Operations Committee, which scheduled and then continued the item before rereферring it to the Public Works Committee in August 2026, pursuant to a council reorganization under CF 26-2000. The file remains open and pending in Public Works Committee, with the proposed Municipal Code amendments still awaiting committee action and a path back to the full Council for final approval.

Activity (12)

• 2026-08-28 Government Operations Committee rereferred item to Public Works Committee, pursuant to Council File No. 26-2000.
• 2026-08-18 Government Operations Committee continued item to a date to be determined.
• 2026-08-13 Government Operations Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 18, 2026.
• 2025-12-16 Department of Cannabis Regulation document(s) referred to Government Operations Committee.
• 2025-12-15 Document submitted by Department of Cannabis Regulation, dated December 15, 2025.
• 2025-08-06 Council action final.
• 2025-08-05 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2025-08-01 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 5, 2025.
• 2025-03-18 Community Impact Statement submitted by Palms Neighborhood Council.
• 2025-01-21 Government Operations Committee approved item(s) .
• 2024-12-13 Council rereferred item to Government Operations Committee, pursuant to Council Action of December 13, 2024, Council File No. 24-2000.
• 2024-12-13 Motion referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

Documents (9)

• 2026-08-18 Communication(s) from Public · communication
• 2026-08-17 Communication(s) from Public · communication
• 2025-12-15 Report from Department of Cannabis Regulation · report
• 2025-08-06 Council Action · council_action
• 2025-08-05 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2025-03-18 Community Impact Statement sbumitted by Palms Neighborhood Council · cis
• 2025-01-21 Report from Government Operations Committee · report
• 2025-01-19 Communication(s) from Public · communication
• 2024-12-13 Motion · motion

Council votes (1)

• 2025-08-05 Vote — 12-0-3 · Regular