The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will consider a series of updates to the proposed cannabis program in unincorporated areas on Wednesday, including rules related to land use, consumption lounges, and community benefits.
Supervisors will be asked to consider three options, described as “decision points,” for the Socially Equitable Cannabis Program. A vote on the full program approval is not expected until this summer.
On land use, the supervisors will consider the following options:
to align with state standards and allow all cannabis facility types, and require a 600-foot buffer between them and schools, day care and youth centers; to adopt blended rules and allow all cannabis business types, but require a 1,000-foot buffer from an expanded list of sensitive uses, not including residential care facilities or public trails, consistent with a 2022 Board of Supervisors’ directive, and also modify the 1,000-foot buffer with preserves for mixed-light, such as greenhouses, and outdoor marijuana cultivation facilities; or to prohibit outdoor cultivation via an ordinance amendment, and require a 1,000-foot buffer from an expanded list of sensitive sites, along with more buffers for mixed-light cultivation, also in line with the 2022 board directive.For temporary events and consumption lounges, options are:
keeping both in the SECP for further consideration; or removing both from the cannabis program.According to a county staff report, “Many stakeholders expressed concern about intoxicated driving, odor, exposure to minors and overall community compatibility. These activities would be subject to state licensing and oversight, as well as enforcement to ensure compliance with public safety and operating standards.”
Also, county staff are asking supervisors for guidance on a community equity contribution program.
According to the county, cannabis businesses which provide a community benefit could apply for tax rebates or grants, “ensuring sufficient time for new cannabis businesses to obtain all their required permits/licenses.”
Supervisors could decide to include the community equity program in the final ordinance, which they will then consider this summer, or instead focus on the social equity program. Along with policy updates, county staff will present a summarized environmental analysis and public feedback.
In January 2021, former Supervisors Nathan Fletcher and Nora Vargas proposed a socially equitable cannabis policy as a way to eliminate the black market, and address how anti-drug policies impact low-income and minority communities.
Since that time, supervisors have approved several related policies, including tax rates in unincorporated areas and a grant to help five existing facilities.
While the program has its backers, it also has a vocal set of opponents, including quite a few who often call into meetings warning about the dangers of marijuana.
In May 2024, supervisors voted 3-2 in favor of a social equity program that advocates say will allow people impacted by previous criminalization efforts to participate in the regulated market.
In April 2023, supervisors voted 3-1 for an ordinance setting tax rates for the legal cannabis industry in the county’s unincorporated region.
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