Tuesday evening, the Santa Cruz City Council voted to limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city to two, effectively putting a moratorium on any new pot clubs. They also voted to limit the amount of space used to cultivate marijuana to 3,000 square feet, significantly less than the 10,000 square feet dispensary owners had requested but more than the 2,000 square feet recommended by city staff. In voting to exceed the staff-recommended figure, councilmembers cited the need for wheelchair access to the growing areas. According to the new regulations, the cultivation area must be physically adjacent to the dispensary where the product is sold.
Would-be pot club owner Stuart Kriege, who had hoped to open Santa Cruz’s third dispensary, rejected the new laws as “Jim Crow” and “a slap in the face to the medical marijuana community.” Other advocates, like Ken Sampson of Santa Cruz Patients Collective, said the limit of 3,000 square feet is too little space to grow the quantities of marijuana he would like to. He added that the city’s two established clubs have been under attack for being perceived as inviting crime.
“I think it’s been a bit of a witch hunt by the public against the dispensaries that are already open,” he told the council.
Another key component of the new city laws would require that dispensaries provide financial documents to city staff that prove they are running their marijuana operations as strict non-profit businesses and not pocketing loads of cash. Medical marijuana dispensaries must already comply with state law, but, if the ordinance is approved, they would also have to satisfy city inspectors.
To be approved, the ordinance needs one more vote by the city council, which will happen on March 23 at 7pm at City Hall.
