CITY COUNCIL SHELVES ITS DISCUSSION ON POT SALES

A divided Escondido City Council postponed a discussion Wednesday on whether to allow legalized cannabis sales in the city, an idea which a 2020 resident survey and recent election results suggest is supported by many in the community.

Support for legalization was also evidenced by public comments received by the City Clerk for the agenda item. Of the 131 comments received, 110 supported legalization. Because the item was postponed, the comments were not read into the record by City Clerk Zack Beck as is customary under COVID-19 meeting procedures.

Councilman Mike Morasco proposed tabling the cannabis discussion.

“I don’t think it’s necessary for us to make these determinations at this time; there’s a lot more information that could be obtained and provided and I’d like to move the discussion to a later date,” Morasco said.

Morasco was joined by Councilmembers Tina Inscoe and Joe Garcia in supporting the postponement. Mayor Paul Mcnamara and Councilwoman Consuelo Martinez opposed tabling the discussion.

“This is just a tactic to not address the issue that I think will have negative repercussions in the future,” said Martinez. “We’ve been postponing this issue for two years now and we need to address it. If not now, when?”

Reached after the meet

ing, Morasco said he simply wanted staff to be better prepared to answer questions raised by the council and the public. He said he has since contacted city staff and asked that the issue be placed on an upcoming agenda.

City Manager Jeff Epp said the item could come back for consideration as early as May.

Currently, cannabis sales for either medicinal or recreational use are prohibited in Escondido, meaning there are no legal dispensaries. Home delivery of marijuana, though not expressly allowed in the city, cannot be prohibited under state law and therefore does occur, officials said.

Of the 19 jurisdictions in San Diego County (18 cities plus the county government), 10 currently allow medicinal, recreational or both types of cannabis sales, said a city staff report. The county Board of Supervisors recently approved recreational sales in unincorporated areas of the county.

Recreational cannabis sales were legalized in California by Proposition 64, which was approved by the state’s voters in 2016. Proposition 64 was supported by 52 percent of Escondido voters.

In addition, a survey commissioned by the city in June found that 49 percent of respondents said cannabis businesses should be allowed, with 35 percent saying no, and 15 percent not sure. When asked about specific types of cannabis businesses, 66 percent were in favor of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries, 58 percent approved of allowing cannabis research and testing, and 51 percent supported legal home delivery. By 44 percent to 41 percent, respondents favored recreational sales.

The staff report said marijuana sales could boost the city’s revenue as it faces a potential budget shortfall of up to $8 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

“Based on sales figures in other jurisdictions and the stated assumptions, the city might generate net revenue of over $2 million annually from legal cannabis sales with five operating dispensaries and well-developed permitting and code enforcement processes,” said the report.

The report also cautioned that if the city maintains the prohibition on legal sales, a citizen’s initiative could be placed on the ballot, preempting the ability of the council and city staff to shape regulations on cannabis sales.

Mcnamara also raised that concern Wednesday. “If we do nothing, we’ve had several organizations come in and say they’ll put it on the ballot,” he said. “If you talk to Vista, they would tell you that you really don’t want to lose control of this. So I do think we need to talk about it.”

“If it’s an initiative, the council and staff have less opportunity to craft a measure that would suit our circumstances,” said Epp. “It’s better to control your own destiny.”

In 2018, Vista voters approved Measure Z, which allows up to 11 medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, over the objections of a majority of council members.

Although public comments weren’t read aloud at Wednesday’s meeting, they will be saved for when the cannabis issue comes back before the council, Mcnamara said.

Some residents, such as Leyel Malave, reminded the council that a majority of Escondido voters supported legalization in 2016.

“The state has legalized it. Science has shown it to be less harmful than the alcohol we sell on every block and many of the prescriptions filling our citizens’ cabinets. But most importantly, I am a grown woman and a citizen of Escondido ... the citizens of Escondido never asked for this ban ... it is now up to all of you to make it right,” she wrote.

KB Strange, a pharmacist, wrote, “Escondido families and neighborhoods need technology to support their student’s educational endeavors. They need job opportunities and internships for their young adults. They need stores with fresh fruit and vegetables, and parks and playgrounds in their neighborhoods. They do not need cannabis capitalists whose business plan is addiction, and expansion, and normalization through advertising. They don’t need pot shops.”