Eschewing concerns over public health, the City Council on Tuesday voted to advance plans for specially permitted cannabis events inside city limits.
In a 6-2 vote, with Councilmembers Kristina Duggan and Megan Kerr dissenting, the council agreed to have the item come back for a second reading before final approval. Once passed, the ordinance will allow the city to issue permits for events centered on the sale and consumption of cannabis.
The item, originally proposed in 2019 but shelved amid the coronavirus pandemic, was first studied by the city in 2024, with findings released in January 2025. Under the plan drafted, the city can issue up to a dozen permits to each state-licensed event organizer; each permit is good for an event lasting up to four days.
If passed, public cannabis events would require a special event permit, which is typically allowed on any city-owned street, sidewalk, alley, park or pier. For cannabis events on private land, it would qualify for a one-day occasional event permit.
The city listed the Queen Mary, Marina Green Park, Rainbow Lagoon, Shoreline Park, the city convention center and soon-to-be-constructed Long Beach Amphitheater as potential venues.
Officials say events will be cordoned-off 21-and-older areas — similar to festival grounds — where city-licensed vendors will hawk joints, infused chocolates, THC-laden nonalcoholic beers and other goods.
Councilmember Cindy Allen said this is a good way to capitalize on the drug’s popularity to boost the city’s tourism and overall economy, while trading out an illicit system for a legal one on the city’s terms.
Though cannabis has been legal in California since voters approved its recreational sale and use in 2016, it remains illegal to consume it in public or sell it outside of licensed dispensaries without a special event permit from both state and local authorities.
“Cannabis is legal, it’s been voted on already, and if people want to go to a legal cannabis event, they should have the right to do that,” Allen said.
But the item drew a battery of complaints from residents and two council members who fretted over the health damage of secondhand smoke and felt the plan lacked the necessary safeguards to prevent it.
Theresa Marino, a retired city health worker, said the plan would begin to undo the city’s hard-fought public smoking ban and place more intoxicated drivers on the road.
“What is going to happen as people leave and drive?” Marino said. “What happens as liability if there is a traffic accident or God forbid, someone is really hurt or fatally hurt?”
In response, city officials said events will be far removed from the public eye — and lung. Locations and plans that are too risky will be weeded out as part of the permitting process.
State law already prohibits the consumption of cannabis in view of the general public. Events would need to be at least 1,000 feet from so-called sensitive sites, such as schools, daycare centers or any place where children are present and would need to provide a system for ride-sharing options.
Other cities like San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento have issued similar permits for cannabis sales since 2018. These cities have hosted large-scale events like the annual Cannabis Cup, with sizable success: little to no calls for emergency service and millions in generated sales, in an event sequestered from the public and under supervision by private security.
Mike Murchison, a local lobbyist, said efforts remain hinged on this plan for Medium Rare, an Atlanta-based events firm, to move ahead with a cultural festival in Downtown Long Beach in fall 2026.
Based on their findings, the city says it doesn’t anticipate more than two to three events per year.
Councilmember Mary Zendejas asked the city to return on a routine basis with data on how much revenue is generated from the events.