If you haven’t seen the five-page report from the Medical Marijuana Task force report that will be presented to the City Council on Dec. 8, you can download it right here.
Here’s how John R. Lamb summarized it back on Nov 11.
– A two-tiered permitting system, allowing collectives with fewer than 100 members to pursue a neighborhood use permit, which requires approval from Development Services staff but is appealable to the city’s Planning Commission. For establishments with more than 100 members, a Conditional Use Permit was recommended, requiring an OK from a city hearing officer. That decision also could be appealed to the Planning Commission.
– Prohibiting cooperatives and collectives from locating within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds, libraries, child-care facilities and youth centers and within 500 feet of another dispensary.
– Despite concerns from some task-force members on the cost burden for smaller dispensaries, the panel recommended that a “licensed” security guard and an “adequate” security system be required as well as adequate lighting for dispensaries and adjoining areas.
– Limiting hours of operation from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.
– Signage limited to the name of the dispensary and only two colors.
– Dispensaries should be limited to commercial and industrial zones or as allowed in existing planned district ordinances.
– Applicants seeking approval for a medical-marijuana establishment would be required to submit evidence that they are legally incorporated as “statutory cooperatives or bona fide nonprofit corporations” or provide a plan detailing how they will operate as a not-for-profit, as laid out in guidelines developed by the state attorney general.
– An expiration date or renewal requirement, as per San Diego Municipal Code, could be assigned to a dispensary’s permit.
