A cannabis dispensary and delivery business will be allowed to operate next to a mosque and church, the Antioch City Council unanimously decided this week despite the objections of several mosque members.
Delta Cannabis Dispensary plans to operate in a business park at 2101 W. 10th St., in the same building as the Victory Outreach Church of Antioch and next to the Masjid Abu Bakr Al Siddiq Mosque and Community Center to the east.
The new dispensary — Antioch’s second — will be about 2,200 feet west of the city’s first approved cannabis dispensary, One Plant, which is being developed at 2701 W. 10th St. at the former Goodwill. In addition to marijuana and cannabis products, applicant Rick Hoke plans to sell vape pens, vape pen cartridges, vape pen batteries, and chargers for cannabis concentrates.
“We are investing in the future of Antioch by building a state-of-the-art retail establishment … unlike anything that currently exists in Antioch,” Hoke told the City Council. “It is important for us to create a destination that Antioch will be proud of but also that will attract residents from nearby communities that will spend their money…”
Delta Cannabis plans to sell cannabis products on site as well as make deliveries. Only customers with valid IDs can buy cannabis at the site, according to a staff report.
Almost 20 residents and mosque members who spoke Tuesday said they worried the cannabis operation would bring crime and a negative influence to northwest Antioch.
The operation, which the Planning Commission approved on a 3-1 vote earlier this month, would have 24-hour security, including two armed security guards during business hours.
Members of Masjid Abu Bakr Al Siddiq Mosque argued that the cannabis shop is too close to the community center where up to 400 people, including children, often participate in daily activities, according to community leader Abdo Hadwan.
“This city is about community and our community is being hurt when it hears that this dispensary will be next door,” Hadwan said. “A mosque is a place where we go five times a day to pray and bring our families to pray… This dispensary might attract bad people, it might bring an influence on them.”
Armando Cableron, a former gang member, asked why such a business would be welcomed.
“We can’t shy away from the fact that there are gang members that frequent these places at all times,” he said. “There is no discrimination on who they prey on — we cannot shy away from that fact. There are armed guards there, but we don’t have armed guards at the mosque who will protect our children.”
Local attorney John Diaz Coker concurred, saying that crime is a “fairly common problem” near cannabis dispensaries. Its location next to a center for Muslims whose religion forbids drug use is also inappropriate, he said.
“I know this situation might not be a violation of the city ordinance, but the City Council has discretion.”
Omar Alsugire, a former smoker, said marijuana is often more detrimental than beneficial.
“It was mentioned that Delta Dispensary supports faith communities, so why don’t they support us and our children in that we don’t want them exposed to cannabis?
Rick Gorman was also bothered by the location.
“I think someone failed to notice there was a mosque behind this building,” he said. “If this was a Catholic church, there would be hell to pay. I believe it’s disrespectful to the Muslim community in East County.”
A handful of others supported the dispensary, saying access to marijuana is an important issue in Antioch, since there are no dispensaries in Contra Costa County.
“Please keep in mind that it is 2019, not 1937,” said Greg Kremenliev, a local marijuana reform advocate.
Andrew Johnson said the city should welcome the business.
“Antioch needs additional tax revenue — there is an opportunity to improve the economic base by simply granting this permit.”
Hoke said Delta Dispensary will have seven employees and attract about 100 customers a day. He also noted that the dispensary will have license plate readers and extensive camera coverage.
“This is the most scrutinized business there could be,” he said.
Mayor Sean Wright said he thought the dispensary was too close to the church but noted that the city does not have zones for churches. “They can pretty much go where they would like,” he said. “If churches wanted to destroy our cannabis zone, we could have churches pop up every 500 feet and take out a full cannabis zone.”
The council approved the use permit, but ordered the dispensary to locate at the far end and build a 12-foot concrete wall between its property and the mosque.
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