WeHo May Reimburse Cannabis Business Trip Expenses

West Hollywood City Council in California will consider the authorization of reimbursing expenditures incurred by Councilmembers when traveling on business for cannabis-related trips. The city council will decide if its reimbursement policy should be applied on cannabis business trips like any other business trip.

On July 10, the West Hollywood City Council held a special study session with cannabis experts. The first scheduled trip is planned for Colorado. “The first scheduled trip is to Colorado to tour manufacturing and retail locations in the Denver region,” City Manager Paul Arevalo stated. “Potential future trips could involve observing cannabis consumption facilities, delivery services, or testing laboratories either in Colorado or other states. Council members have expressed interest in attending such trips in order to observe existing operations and become better educated on best practices in the cannabis industry.”

The city of West Hollywood (WeHo) pays or reimburses expenses for Councilmembers’ travel according to the Public Officials Expense Reimbursement Policy (AB-1234.) Events and activities not listed in AB 1234, or exceeding $5,000 need prior approval by the city council.

Reimbursements for cannabis-related business activities further solidifies the normalization of cannabis in the United States. Four licensed medical cannabis dispensaries are open in the city, and the city council suggested allowing more than four retail cannabis stores. West Hollywood residents are especially tolerant of recreational cannabis, with open cannabis bars at weddings, upscale cannabis cuisine events, and upscale cannabis or hemp cocktail lounges as commonplace. Over one-third of West Hollywood residents identify at LGBT, making it one of the largest “gayborhoods” in the United States.

CNBC’s new hit series The Profit airs on August 8 and host Marcus Lemonis stops by the upscale West Hollywood dispensary MedMen, to explore the Los Angeles recreational cannabis market. Business trips concerning cannabis will likely happen more often with the implementation of Proposition 64. The city council will meet at 6:30 pm. at the City Council Chambers and will discuss the topic of cannabis business trip reimbursements.