Marijuana Moment: California Bill To Allow Drive-Thrus At Marijuana Dispensaries Advances To Assembly Floor Vote

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A bill that would allow California marijuana stores to offer drive-thru windows to serve customers is heading to a floor vote in the state Assembly.

The measure, which cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee in a 13-1 vote on Wednesday, says that licensed cannabis retailers and microbusinesses with storefronts could sell marijuana products “to a customer in a motor vehicle in a drive-through located on the premises.”

Under AB 2697 from Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D), which last month was approved by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee, cannabis businesses would need approval from the local jurisdictions in which they operate in order to add the drive-thru option.

Assemblymember Jessica Caloza (D) told colleagues before the most recent vote that the bill will address a “regulatory inconsistency” under which “licensed cannabis retailers can offer curbside pickup as a remnant of COVID pandemic adaptations” but “generally cannot fulfill orders for customers sitting in their car at a drive-thru.”

The legislation would “make legal cannabis more accessible and will help the legal market compete with illicit market,” she said.

Mark Smith of Chuck’s Wellness Center, a retailer in Placerville, said the bill is “about improving access.”

“A significant portion of customers rely on cannabis as medicine, including seniors, veterans and individuals living with chronic conditions that affect mobility—exactly the population this regulated system is meant to serve,” he said. “For many, even simple tasks like exiting a vehicle and navigating a retail space can be physically difficult or prohibitive.”

“A drive-thru model addresses this gap in a controlled, compliant manner,” Smith said. “It reduces physical barriers, supports [Americans With Disabilities Act]-conscious principles and creates a more inclusive retail environment without changing who has access—only how that access is provided.”

Amy O’Gorman Jenkins of the California Cannabis Operators Association said the proposal “supports the fiscal interests of the state at a time when you see cannabis revenues in sharp decline.”

“Anything we can do to offer practical solutions to keep consumers in our stores is really, really important,” she said.

The bill next heads to an Assembly floor vote before potentially going to the Senate for consideration.

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California regulators recently adopted changes to the state’s marijuana licensing process that are intended to make it easier for businesses to qualify for benefits in line with the Trump administration’s recent move to federally reschedule medical cannabis.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), meanwhile, recently took credit for helping to lead the push for the state to legalize marijuana and discussed his own limited experience with using cannabis.

In October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.”

Newsom did sign a bill earlier that month aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics.

In September, the governor also signed a measure into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products.

California officials recently awarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects.

Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.

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