The City of Red Bluff website already has links for folks to apply to have a cannabis business in Red Bluff, and full approval could come as soon as the end of March.
The city council approved two ordinances Tuesday, one to approve cannabis and one to regulate zoning.
Three cannabis dispensaries will be allowed to operate in the city, their applications will be looked at and approved by the city.
Alternatively, a non-competitive application, officials say, will allow any number of businesses to operate for cannabis as it pertains to growing, cultivating, laboratories, etc., if they are approved by the city.
Earlier Thursday, Laythen Martines, owner of Sundial Collective, a dispensary in Redding, will apply to expand his business into Red Bluff.
“We think we have a good shot, but it will be a fair process,” Martines said. “We’ve been in the industry a long time so we think we have a good shot at getting it.”
This process, of course, has been years in the making.
City Official Daniele Eyestone said that COVID had a “huge impact” on the length of time it took to approve the ordinances.
The council approved the ordinances 4-1, the only dissent being councilman JR Gonzales.
Not everyone approves the ordinance.
Red Bluff Local, Cody Strock, who set forth his own petition that has been debated in the council chambers, feels like locals are not getting enough control and power in the cannabis business in their homes.
“…It’s extremely disappointing,” Strock said. “I think fair would be allowing the community to enrich itself and partake in the industry that it created and that it suffered for the last hundred years to make possible. So an ordinance that makes it nearly impossible for any locals to participate in the market, to me, is not fair, or good, for businesses”
Strock’s own proposal he says will be better for locals will be on the election ballot for November, in the meantime, three dispensaries are likely to be approved by the end of March.
“I think that if there’s anybody that’s willing to submit an application they should do so,” said Community Development Director Tom Westbrook, adding that applications are scored competitively, but added, “if there’s a local person that would like to do another cannabis-related business there’s the non-competitive application which has no maximum limit so anyone can apply be granted a permit.”
Westbrook added that because the city has never had cannabis legislation before, two ordinances were required and the long process was necessary to ensure the city “gets it right.”
The ordinance does include provisions that would provide a living wage for folks that are working in the cannabis industry, initiatives to work with local businesses, and community engagement to work with nonprofits.
The text of the ordinance includes provisions such as a “…binding commitment by the commercial cannabis business to provide wages to each employee that exceeds the Tehama County area median income by a minimum of one hundred twenty percent,” as well as “…plans to integrate into the community, and involvement with local non-profits/charitable/volunteer organizations.”
Applications will be finished on March 31.
—
To report errors or issues with this article please email the editorial team.
Recent Comments