In a bid to curtail premature business opportunities tied to recreational marijuana, city leaders in Washington DC have passed a bill banning cannabis consumption in private clubs.
City council members passed the emergency legislation unanimously, worried that pseudo-businesses would begin charging membership fees for access to clubs that allow consumption. Any business caught violating the law will lose its operating license.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, a proponent of rec marijuana legalization in Washington DC, backed the ban as part of a bid clarify the cannabis law that went into effect last week.
For a company to lose its license, the consumption would have to occur at its business address, vs. in a private home.
Legalization activists weren’t happy about the bill’s passage, saying it will encourage illegal activity.
Washington DC legalized marijuana last week after a stiff fight with Congress, which has authority over laws in the district. Legalization went into effect last week despite efforts by some members to block it.