The California Assembly voted 55-9 on Monday to pass AB 2697, a bill that would permit 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." The measure, authored by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D), now advances to the Senate after previously clearing the Assembly Appropriations Committee and Business and Professions Committee.
Under the bill, businesses must obtain local jurisdiction approval before adding a drive-thru option. Sales would have to occur "through a fixed-pane security window with a security drawer or similar secure transfer mechanism that is part of a building located within the premises."
Pellerin said on the floor that the bill "will expand access to legal cannabis products while strengthening legal market's ability to compete with the illicit market." Supporters have argued the option particularly benefits medical patients with mobility issues who struggle to leave their vehicles, noting that while home delivery is legal, service area restrictions limit its reach. Dispensaries already offer curbside pickup under a COVID-era policy that remains in effect.
The California Narcotic Officers' Association opposes the bill. "Importantly, no similar statute authorizes drive-thru window liquor sales. Drive-thru window cannabis sales create a direct nexus between purchase and vehicle operations," the group said. "This will increase the likelihood of drug-impaired driving incidents and deaths by encouraging the immediate or near-immediate consumption following the purchase of edible and high-potency products resulting in dangerous impairment."
Separately, California regulators recently updated the state's marijuana licensing process to help businesses qualify for federal benefits tied to the Trump administration's move to reschedule medical cannabis. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently took credit for leading California's marijuana legalization effort and discussed his own cannabis use. In October, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis directly to patients via carriers such as FedEx and UPS, stating the proposal "would be burdensome and overly complex to administer." He also signed a bill that month to expedite research on marijuana and psychedelics. In September, he signed a measure pausing a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products. California officials have also awarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research.
