Commercial cannabis is getting closer to becoming a reality in Paso Robles after the City Council approved two ordinances regarding cannabis delivery services during its Oct. 18 meeting.
The first ordinance, introduced at the Oct. 4 City Council meeting, expands the zoning code to also allow commercial cannabis delivery services in the riverside corridor and for businesses located between 24th and 28th streets in the commercial and light industrial zoning districts. Medical cannabis delivery is already handled by the existing city-licensed delivery services Dubs Green Garden and Aquamarine, but Councilmember Steve Gregory vouched for including Kinfolk Holistic LLC, another medical marijuana delivery service, on the list of three commercial cannabis delivery services in Paso Robles.
Since the city only allowed delivery services to deliver medical cannabis prior to the recent changes, businesses such as Dubs Green Garden were at a disadvantage compared to state-licensed, out-of-town delivery services operating within city limits.
“I believe the situation we find ourselves in right now is that we are in a city where 20 services already deliver these products to our citizens,” Mayor Steve Martin said the Oct. 18 meeting. “And yet, our local businesspeople are not allowed to participate in that legal market. And that’s not fair.”
Paso Robles resident Jeff Carr, who spoke at the Oct. 18 meeting, said he was concerned about how the city was handling delivery services coming from outside of Paso Robles.
“People can talk all day about how they want to keep cannabis storefronts a safe distance from children and schools and such, but it seems that these delivery companies can deliver with just a few exceptions, mostly anywhere they want to,” Carr said. “I’m much more concerned about the roaming delivery services in the city than I am of a stationary storefront. More regulations are needed, but it’s not clear that the city understands the delivery situation right now.”
Grace Hall, CEO of Dubs Green Garden weighed in during public comment about how delivery services are limited by not being allowed to deliver recreational cannabis.
“Being medical [delivery] is like a dinosaur in the industry. So what happens is, when somebody wants to make a delivery for marijuana, they can choose to pay upwards of $150 for a doctor’s recommendation, or they can they can just call a recreational service,” Hall said. “Our business is pretty much obsolete now, with the influx of everyone being recreational [delivery].”
The City Council voted 3-2 to change city zoning rules and allow existing medical delivery services to deliver recreational cannabis. The council also discussed the number of permits the city would grant to commercial cannabis delivery service businesses within the city and ultimately settled on limiting that number to three. Ī
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 6, 2022.
Dub’s Green Garden is absolutely correct – they should be allowed to deliver recreational cannabis and also be first in line to receive a store permit if and when the City approves retail store fronts. Anyone associated with Helios Dayspring, the Natural Healing Center, e.g. Megan’s Organic Market should be excluded from the process – considering what came to light recently in NHC SLO LLC vs City of SLO 21CV-0734. Dayspring provided proof of the permitting deception/fraud that transpired there.