The Walnut Creek City Council on Tuesday will consider allowing non-medical cannabis businesses to operate within the city.
In 2018, the city adopted its own regulations for “personal and commercial cannabis activities,” according to a staff report for Tuesday’s meeting. The current ordinance allows for up to two non-storefront, delivery-only cannabis retailers within city limits.
At the time, the city said not enough was known about potential impacts to the community if it allowed wider use. It was also concerned about additional crime and that residents didn’t want more of a visible presence of cannabis in the city. Only one of the two allowable businesses opened as a result.
Earlier this year, the city reassessed its ordinance and looked at the impact on 28 other local jurisdictions allowing some form of cannabis sales.
In California, medical cannabis was legalized in 1996 and non-medical use for people 21 and over was legalized in 2016.
The report points out that 70 percent of cannabis use is recreational and taxable, with the rest being medicinal (which isn’t taxable). Moving away from prescription use will increase taxable sales, it says, and “existing retail stores in Martinez and Antioch are doing extremely well, and in the next eight to 12 months, one new store will open in Pacheco and four to five new retail stores will open in Concord. There is an estimated demand for approximately 10 to 12 more retail stores in Contra Costa County.”
If recreational sales are legal, the city could collect revenue not only through sales tax, but through business licensing and permit fees. A local sales tax could also be imposed on businesses outside the city that deliver within city limits.
The city could also consider allowing cultivation and preparation of cannabis products within city limits. It also has a few options to control cannabis sales, including a limit on licenses, buffer zones, land use constraints, and security requirements.
City staff is presenting options to the council, including no change to the current regulations, modifying them to allow limited retail recreational sales, expanding regulations to allow more than two storefront retailers and delivery businesses, or expanding rules to include cultivation, manufacturing, and other uses.
The Walnut Creek City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the council chambers, 1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek. The meeting can be seen virtually at www.zoom.us, webinar ID 859 4685 0285, passcode 150667.
Great idea. Keep them stoned and stupid so they’ll follow the party line. I’m waiting for a screaming Karen to educate me on “medical marijuana” and all the positive benefits. Keep smoking those beliefs.
Do you really think that a plant that has been used medicinally since literally before recorded human history may have no benefit?
If you won’t listen to modern peer-reviewed studies, will you listen to Greek or Roman scholars? Pliny himself talked about how cannabis roots were potent medicine.
But, no, please. Have some oxycotin for your back pain.
It’s already expanded they’re just too stupid to realize it.
Of all the things in the world this one is the one that is really needed?
Cannabis stores are frequent targets of armed robberies, for that reason alone this is a bad idea. These stores also draw a seedy element to the community; the stores owners are seedy, the people working at the stores are seedy, the customers are often seedy and so are the growers. Quality people just don’t suddenly decide “Uh, I am going to start growing pot and selling it too”. I know some growers personally, guys I went to high school with they are total flakes, They grow to avoid having to work. Making money off of people strung out on smoking pot is morally repugnant to me. Lots of ways to make money, ways that benefit the community, this is not one of them. Also, I am wondering why WC needs the money from pot dispensaries. Compared to other cities in the county WC has a huge tax base; why does WC need the revenue from cannabis sales? The city doesn’t need the money, so council members should flat out reject bringing cannabis stores to WC. City officials should be encouraging healthy living rather than encouraging citizens to inhale toxic cannabis fumes. So I totally agree with this other blogger, Council members should discourage people from getting stones and stupid.
Look at the size of the security guard in front of the dispensary in Pacheco and the size of his gun. Nobody is robbing that place. I think you watch the wrong news channel.
https://media4.giphy.com/media/F3G8ymQkOkbII/giphy.webp?cid=82a1493bt9ysfcogle0a50jn8zkbebuzmra29h8mgwu1wiq7&rid=giphy.webp&ct=g
But seriously, all they’re doing is considered allowing more of it. It’s hardly something unique.
Tobacco has weed beat when it comes to toxic fumes (especially when you consider brownies and other edibles).
Most of what you said also applies to alcohol.
In what world does any government decide that they don’t need more money?
Personally, I don’t partake, but I think you could use a bit.
And that’s just the security guard outside at the Pacheco dispensary, not to mention most if not all have an armed AR-15 individual that aren’t in sight.
@ Schmee
One minimum wage security guard is not going to prevent an armed robbery.
The Guard is going to be the first of many people who gets a gun stuck in their face.
I think you are naïve and should read the California BSIS required training or lack of training actually for Security Guards.
..+1 … it will get approved just for the revenue it may bring to the city
He looks like a mercenary. Prob ex military. They don’t hire normal security for a dispensary. They aren’t stupid.
Just to clarify there are already weed delivery companies delivering to Walnut Creek for years now but they are based in Oakland and the city of Walnut Creek does not see any tax revenue
Neither does Oakland. During measure z the irs raided a few and found two sets of books.
Yea not surprising. Happens in cash only businesses. Banks are still scared to have marijuana business accounts because they are waiting on federal regulation.
Where are they getting all the water to grow this cannabis?
Don’t believe all the BS how much water it takes to grow pot, its blown way out of proportion and is exactly what they want you to believe.
Stop with the stupid water comments, it makes you look stupid.
Thats right, dumb everyone down then make them stupid by giving them pot! Makes for a really good society.
Are you similarly concerned with alcohol and tobacco?
Alcoholism: “It is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and cost the nation $249 billion in 2010.”
10K DUI deaths per year
50% of domestic abuse involves alcohol abuse
Literally destroys brain cells when abused even moderately, has a very low LD/50 and leads to constant overdoses because people can’t control themselves
Cannabis is like an ant, alcohol is like a swarm of ravenous, rabid, starving tigers by comparison.
You people are a pack of hypocrites.
Alcoholism costs the American public 10K DUI deaths yearly, 249 billion a year in wasted taxpayer money,
Tobacco kills 480,000 Americans a year.
And you want to rage against the substance which can literally not even kill you, due to its insanely low LD/50 (lethality)? The substance that does not contribute hundreds of thousands of dead Americans?
Alcohol and tobacco kill hundreds of thousands of your countrymen each year. Cannabis kills none. If you’re a patriot, then raging against Cannabis is idiotic, and raging against Alcohol and tobacco is only logical.
☝️
anon—Why are you calling people a pack of hypocrites? Not one comment here has condoned the use of alcohol or tobacco. People are entitled to their opinion, just like you are entitled to your opinion. It should be done respectfully, without the name-calling.
Calling people names is not only insulting, it’s an attempt to bully a person and serves no purpose.
Nailed it!
Weed is the least of the problems out there and most people are just too stupid to admit to it, instead they all lead the bandwagon against it.
People crying over some legally mandated Marijuana sales BUT probably that jerk who Drinks & Drives and thinks thats OK!!!
Get over yourselves and wake up! Its 2021 people!! Shoot grandmas are smoking pot!
Crying over this but not over the insane amounts of ALCOHOL related deaths and Alcohol is legal! smh. Makes a lot of sense…NOT!
All you uptight individuals losing your marbles over just the thought may need to take a few puffs yourself!! Don’t knock it till you try it! LOL
The potheads will tell you marijuana is harmless, but anyone with any knowledge of the issue can easily dispute their propaganda.
One example:
“Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), a disease caused by the chronic use of marijuana, has become increasingly common across the country. Its symptoms — severe stomach pain and nausea, with relief coming only from scalding hot showers or heating pads — have caused increasing health care and utility bill costs, emotional and physical distress, and even, in some cases, suicidal thoughts among those who suffer from the syndrome.”
‘I’d have rather been dead’: What marijuana cures in some, it causes in others (kron4.com – Oct 4, 2021)
https://bit.ly/3mpd56h