Santa Cruz County Supervisors Consider On-Site Cannabis Consumption at Retailers and Farms

SANTA CRUZ – Halloween and all its orange pumpkins and spooky white costumes may be fast approaching, but next week’s Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors meeting will have a distinctly green tint.

Be with meeting on Tuesdaythe board will consider a pair of proposed ordinances that would allow on-site cannabis consumption at existing retailers and agricultural locations. To add some predictability to the meeting’s packed agenda, items will be heard in the boardrooms at 701 Ocean St. in Santa Cruz no earlier than 1:30 p.m.

The first item specifically addresses consumables that can be inhaled at existing retail locations or at adjacent parcels in an unincorporated area. According to the staff reportdesignated puffing zones would be subject to strict ventilation and odor requirements, and must comply with national regulations for smoke-free workplaces.

According to the province Office of Cannabis Licensingthere are twelve licensed pharmacies in the unincorporated area, although not all local retailers would be able to develop an on-site consumption system due to space, location or economic constraints.

Some local farmers also want to get in on the action, so a second regulation has been drafted that would allow retail sales and establish similar consumption regulations where the buds themselves are actually grown. In a province whose economy is largely dependent on tourism, advocates say these new rules could boost it agrotourism for visitors and locals who want to learn more about the cannabis industry and the cultivation process.

The farm-focused ordinance, according to county staff, is intended as a three-year pilot program that will allow for the launch of the operational changes while allowing for feedback and monitoring from operators, neighbors, the general public and county staff themselves.

Based on discussions by county staff with tour operators in other jurisdictions, the minimum feasible number of participating retail farms for the program is three, but five to seven is ideal.

The staff recommendations come to the board after nearly a year of community discussions, consultations with farmers and retailers, as well as research and informational interviews with neighboring jurisdictions.

According to the agenda report, in-depth economic analysis measuring the financial impact of on-site consumption locations at farms and retailers was limited, although staff speculated the changes would result in a marginal increase in the total Cannabis Business Tax the province collects each year. Still, staff notes that broader financial benefits could accrue if the regulations help cement the county’s status as a desirable tourism destination. It could also encourage collaboration between local companies in developing multi-destination trips with a variety of activities.

Two-unit developments

Also on the board’s agenda is another proposed ordinance that would align the county with a recently implemented state housing law.

The regulation was drawn up as a local codification of Senate Bill 9, which allows property owners within a single-family residential zone to build two units, or divide a lot into two lots for a total of four units.

According to the staff report, local jurisdictions can conduct design reviews under state law, but public hearings are not required for projects that comply with state rules.

If you go

What: The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is considering on-site cannabis consumption programs at retailers and farms.

When: Tuesday 1:30 PM at the latest.

How: 701 Ocean St. Room 525, Santa Cruz or Zoom: us06web.zoom.us/j/81732202363.

Originally published: October 26, 2024 at 11:07 am