Snoop Dogg Could Celebrate His Next Birthday by Smoking a Blunt in Public—Legally

Long Beach native and rap legend Snoop Dogg just celebrated his 53rd birthday on October 20. But if the Long Beach City Council acts quickly, Snoop might be able to legally smoke a blunt in public for his 54th birthday. The city is currently considering allowing cannabis use at public events, a move that could put Long Beach on the map as a cannabis-friendly destination.

A Four-Year Journey to Legal Public Cannabis Use

Pam Chotiswatdi, a cannabis educator with Long Beach Green Room, has been advocating for public cannabis use permits since 2019. “In 2019, we started this conversation with the city and they were actually looking into it, but COVID shut it down,” Chotiswatdi explained. Now, four years later, she and other advocates are hoping to pick up where they left off.

The idea is to allow public events in Long Beach to obtain permits for legal cannabis consumption. In August, the Long Beach City Council unanimously agreed to commission a study to explore how such permits might work and how the city could regulate and benefit from them.

Economic Opportunity for Long Beach

Al Austin, a Long Beach City Councilmember, sees the potential for cannabis-friendly events as a significant economic opportunity. “We are looking to put Long Beach in a place to win,” said Austin. “It’s an economic opportunity that we see for businesses and large events.”

As it stands, state law allows for temporary permits for cannabis use at public events, but only with local city approval. If Long Beach moves forward with its proposal, it could join other California cities in capitalizing on cannabis as a growing industry.

Cannabis Use at Public Events: A Growing Trend

Long Beach isn’t the only California city considering this. Just last month, the state fair in Sacramento became the first fair in the country to allow cannabis sales and consumption on-site. The event was a huge success, attracting more than 80,000 attendees and demonstrating the viability of cannabis-friendly public events.

As Long Beach continues to explore public cannabis use permits, the city could soon join a growing trend of cannabis-friendly destinations in California. And if all goes according to plan, Snoop Dogg might just celebrate his next birthday by lighting up in public—legally.