Regulation
California Bill to Legalize Marijuana Dispensary Drive-Thru Windows Put on Hold
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin says AB 2697 lacked the votes needed to advance this year.
A California bill that would allow licensed cannabis retailers to sell marijuana through drive-thru windows has been put on hold by its sponsor, Assemblymember Gail Pellerin. The lawmaker said she wasn’t confident the measure had enough support to reach the governor’s desk this year.
A California lawmaker is pausing her own legislation that sought to legalize drive-thru windows at marijuana dispensaries. Assemblymember Gail Pellerin told Marijuana Moment that she wasn’t sure the measure had enough support to make it through the full Senate and onto the governor’s desk this year.
The bill, AB 2697, had passed the full Assembly and advanced through a Senate committee this session. But Pellerin said the effort didn’t have the votes to continue. “We had great momentum with AB 2697, but unfortunately we were not confident we had the votes and decided it was best to put the bill on hold and continue the work and engagement at a later time,” the lawmaker said.
The measure would have permitted licensed cannabis retailers and microbusinesses with storefronts to sell marijuana products “to a customer in a motor vehicle in a drive-through located on the premises.” Cannabis businesses would have needed approval from local jurisdictions to add the drive-thru option.
Pellerin said the proposal was meant to expand transaction options for consumers, including people with mobility issues or other disabilities. She also noted that home delivery is already legal but comes with service area restrictions.
The California Narcotic Officers’ Association opposed the bill. A representative testified that drive-thru windows would make it harder for dispensary workers to check customers’ IDs for age compliance or to detect signs of current intoxication.
Under a current policy enacted during the COVID pandemic, dispensaries can already offer curbside pickup. The bill would have required drive-thru sales to occur through a fixed-pane security window with a security drawer or similar secure transfer mechanism as part of a building on the premises.