MEETING DATE: 11/14/2018
DEPARTMENT: COUNTY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE
DEPT HEAD/DIRECTOR: Ray Espinosa
AGENDA ITEM PREPARER: Dulce Alosno
SBC DEPT FILE NUMBER: 119
SUBJECT:
COUNTY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE - R. ESPINOSA
Informational Overview of Cannabis ordinances presentation.
SBC FILE NUMBER: 119
AGENDA SECTION:
REGULAR AGENDA
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY:
Commercial cannabis activity is currently prohibited in the unincorporated area of San Benito County. On June 6, 2018 voters approved Measure C creating a tax on cannabis businesses and Board of Supervisors directed staff to establish the necessary ordinances to allow certain commercial cannabis activity within the unincorporated area of San Benito County.
HdL Companies was contracted to assist the County's development and implementation of a cannabis business regulatory program, to provide input and direction to draft an ordinance establishing the regulatory structure for cannabis business operations and the permitting thereof.
As directed by the Board of Supervisors, County staff and Cannabis consultant HDL companies are proposing amendments to the Zoning Code to accomplish the following:
- Allow cannabis businesses to engage in the following commercial cannabis activities :
- Cultivation (including Nursery),
- Manufacturing (Volatile and Non-Volatile),
- Laboratory testing,
- Distribution,
- Microbusiness (Non-Retail), and
- Delivery only via Out-of-County Delivery Services.
- Establish Cannabis Business Permits for the duration of one year.
- Amend other zoning code language to aid in consistency and clarification of cannabis business activity specifically title 7.02, 25.07, and 25.17 and add Chapter 19.43 to the San Benito County Code which sets forth the development and operational standards for cannabis businesses
San Benito County Laws
The Board of Supervisors previously adopted a limited Cannabis Businesses Ordinance (Ordinance No. 964) on December 12, 2017, set forth in Chapter 7.02 of the San Benito County Code, pending the results of an initiative measure regarding taxing cannabis businesses. On June 6, 2018, San Benito County voters approved Measure C to create a tax for cannabis businesses located in unincorporated San Benito County. The Board further directed staff to address ways to mitigate known and unknown impacts of cannabis business through cost recovery (fees) and revenues (taxes), to continue to develop a cannabis business ordinance to bring back to the Board. Staff is on the
BUDGETED: