On Tuesday the National City City Council voted 5-0 to have city staff draft a regulatory ordinance that would allow up to three commercial cannabis businesses in National City’s industrial zones.
“I think that the thought and analysis has been brought before us allows us to have the flexibility to regulate what we can regulate right now,” National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis said at the city council meeting.
She and the council appropriated funds in July for the 2020 fiscal year to conduct a study on revenue projections and the impact of the cannabis industry in National City. To do this, city staff requested authorization to hire HdL Companies, a cannabis consulting firm that works with government agencies.
City Economic Development Specialist Megan Gamwell and HdL Cannabis Compliance Director David Mcpherson presented potential cannabis land use regulations, limits on business operations and permitting processes, and public outreach possibilities to the city council on Tuesday.
“Although we do prohibit cannabis activity, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t making its way into our community,” Gamwell said.
Currently the cities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Oceanside, San Diego and Vista allow for the commercial sale of cannabis or are in the process of allowing it. These include non-storefront cannabis retailers that can deliver to National City residents.
“The part that is very challenging is that we are impacted already by people that are making deliveries,” Sotelo-Solis said.
In the public risk assessment presented to the council, benefits of regulating cannabis included monitoring business practices, approving security labs and regulating time, place and manner requirements.
The negative impact of non-regulation included less oversight and control, citing less police power, more black market sales and no control regarding sales to youth.
The presentation by Gamwell and McPherson did not include an estimate as to what regulating cannabis would cost the city, because it has not been determined yet whether the City will move forward with a cannabis tax measure or the implementation of development agreements.
City staff will return to the council with more information about the potential fiscal impact and benefits.
Moving forward, city staff will also do public outreach and conduct a survey to gather community input on cannabis regulation. Councilmembers Mona Rios and Ron Morrison and Mayor Sotelo-Solis stressed that getting community input will be imperative.
