Long Beach will be looking into allowing on-site Cannabis use at permitted special events
Long Beach will be looking into allowing temporary permitted special events with on-site cannabis consumption in the city.
The City Council unanimously approved a feasibility study to look into hosting temporary cannabis special events within city limits, including types of appropriate venues, such as the Queen Mary. Currently, the city does not authorize these types of events.
City staffers will be working with the Office of Cannabis Oversight and all relevant departments, such as the Long Beach Police Department, to conduct the study on what this would entail for Long Beach’s economic development and public safety concerns.
“The potential economic impact for permitting these temporary cannabis special events is what is primarily motivating this initiative,” Councilmember Al Austin said during the Tuesday, Aug. 6, council meeting. “Long Beach has always been a vibrant destination for arts, culture and tourism and by embracing this burgeoning market we can attract a diverse range of visitors, further enriching our local economy, and bolstering our reputation as a forward thinking city.”
Allowing these events could potentially benefit the city’s local cannabis businesses and industry as well, Austin said, especially the small businesses owned and operated by Long Beach residents.
“I believe of paramount importance any discussion related to cannabis events is the unwavering commitment to ensuring that it is a safe environment,” said Austin, who alongside Councilmember Mary Zendejas brought forth this item. “So, as we explore the feasibility of this proposal we must prioritize the implementation of a sound, safety plan.”
Long Beach has considered this before. In 2019, the City Council approved a motion requesting the city attorney to draft an ordinance to authorize the issuance of local temporary cannabis event permits.
Prior to the council’s approval of the motion, in 2018 the state began issuing state temporary cannabis event licenses that allow events with onside adult-use cannabis sales and consumption, following the Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act.
A pause was placed on creating the ordinance, according to the staff report. First, due to operational and policy issues that needed to be addressed before the ordinance could be presented, and second, was the COVID-19 pandemic that called for social distancing and pause to social activities.
During the meeting, Zendejas said she supported bringing back this item with the intention of seeing how it could benefit the city’s economic development opportunities.
“We must obviously take into consideration health concerns, and ensure these types of events are safe and that the operators are responsible,” she added.
The study is going to establish clear guidelines for venue compliance, including adherence to state visibility requirements for cannabis activities and consideration for on-site consumption plans and designated consumption areas.
It will also provide a list of potential locations that Long Beach dispensaries can use, including a consideration of the Queen Mary and the Convention Center, and ensure full compliance with all relevant regulations.
Once the study is complete, the City Council could request the city attorney to draft an ordinance that authorizes the city to issue local temporary cannabis special event permits and provide recommendations supporting local cannabis businesses, according to the staff report.
That ordinance would allow and regulate the issuance of temporary cannabis special event permits to a recommended number of events per year, provided that applicants have both their cannabis event organizer and temporary cannabis event licenses from the California Department of Cannabis Control.
During public comment, Pam Chotiswatdi, director with the Long Beach Collective Association, said that the association was in favor of the feasibility study and also provided some additional recommendations. The Long Beach Collective Association is an organization of the city’s dispensaries committed to safe and legal cannabis access through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and policy development.
Temporary cannabis special events should encompass events of all sizes, small and large, Chotiswatdi said. And to consider making permit fees proportionate to the size and scale of each event to further encourage participation and compliance. She also suggested that sales from any event be processed through a locally licensed Long Beach cannabis retail dispensary.
“This policy boosts the local economy by ensuring that revenues remain within the community and strengthens the workforce participation and the blooming Long Beach cannabis tourism,” Chotiswatdi said.
Mike Murchison, a local lobbyist, told the City Council that a company called Medium Rare — a advertising and entertainment company that partners with celebrities — reached out to him which hosted these events across the country.
Murchison said that Medium Rare approached him because Long Beach icon Snoop Dogg wants to host his birthday celebration by the Queen Mary in October 2025.
“This is a unique opportunity for this particular special event,” Murchison said. “It’s going to bring 25,000 to 30,000 people down there which is about the size of a very large music festival.”
If Long Beach allows this, it will join a small group of Northern California cities – such as San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento – that already authorize and regulate cannabis special events.
“It’s my hope that a responsible and well regulated temporary cannabis special event,” Austin said, “can contribute positively to our city’s cultural vibrancy, economic prosperity, and reputation as a leader in progressive policy making.”
The Long Beach City Council approved the feasibility study with a 8-0 vote. City staffers are anticipated to bring back a presentation to the council within 60 days.
