California Gov. Vetoes Bills to Legalize Cannabis Cafes and Decriminalize Some Psychedelic Plants

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over the weekend vetoed a bill to legalize cannabis cafes, another to decriminalize some psychedelic plants, and a third that would have imposed new restrictions on the labeling and packaging of cannabis products.

In his veto message for the cannabis cafes bill, Newsom said the measure “could undermine California’s long-standing smoke-free workplace protections” but urged the bill’s author to address the concern in subsequent legislation.

In his veto of the bill to decriminalize some psychedelic plants, including mescaline, DMT, psilocybin, and psilocin, Newsom said that while “peer-reviewed science and powerful personal anecdotes” lead him “to support new opportunities to address mental health through psychedelic medicines” he believes the state should first “begin work to set up regulated treatment guidelines,” including “dosing information, therapeutic guidelines, rules to prevent against exploitation during guided treatments, and medical clearance of no underlying psychoses.”

“I urge the legislature to send me legislation next year that includes therapeutic guidelines. I am, additionally, committed to working with the legislature and sponsors of this bill to craft legislation that would authorize permissible uses and consider a framework for potential broader decriminalization in the future, once the impacts, dosing, best practice, and safety guardrails are thoroughly contemplated and put in place.” — Newsom in his veto message

Newsom’s veto of the bill that would have prohibited cannabis product labels and packaging from being “attractive to children” was due to his concern that the term “attractive to children” is “overly broad.” He said that the state’s medical and adult-use cannabis laws, and Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) regulations already prohibit such marketing.

“By prohibiting entire categories of images, this bill would sweep in commonplace designs,” Newsom said in his veto message, “and I am not convinced that these additional limits will meaningfully protect children beyond what is required under existing law.”

Newsom added that he will direct the DCC “to strengthen and expand existing youth-related cannabis protections.”