By Mike Hazlip—
The City of Citrus Heights is slated to take up reconsideration of its ban on cannabis businesses this year, following a councilman’s proposal last month.
During a “future agenda items” portion at the conclusion of the Dec, 14, 2023 council meeting, Councilman Tim Schaefer proposed a future discussion to review the city’s ban on cannabis businesses. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Porsche Middleton.
Schaefer cited the need for additional funds for roads as one reason for reviewing the policy.
“In light of director Cave’s presentation with regard to the expense of trying to get some repaving going, I’d like to try to bolster some revenue,” Schaefer said, referencing a presentation by the city’s general services director. “The method I would suggest is I would like a council member to support me in bringing back to council in the next 60 days a revision or reconsideration of our cannabis ordinance and potentially offer cannabis, a cannabis business in Citrus Heights.”
A current city ordinance, Sec. 47-3, prohibits marijuana-related businesses to be located or to operate within city limits. The law does permit delivery of marijuana or marijuana products.
The current ordinance says restricted marijuana-based businesses include both medical and adult-use cultivators, manufacturers, retailers, microbusinesses distributors, testing facilities, or delivery businesses.
Section 47-1 of the same ordinance labels cannabis businesses as a “public nuisance” and states the purpose for the ban is “to protect the safety and welfare of the general public.”
“[T]he city council finds that marijuana businesses are public nuisances in that many violent crimes have been committed that can be traced back to the proliferation of these businesses, including armed robberies and murders,” the ordinance reads. “Increased noise and pedestrian traffic, including nonresidents in pursuit of marijuana, and out of area criminals in search of prey, are commonly encountered near marijuana collectives, cooperatives and dispensaries and other marijuana businesses. The city council further finds that it is reasonable to conclude that commercial marijuana businesses are likely to cause many of these same adverse impacts.”
A January 2020 city staff report shows that Citrus Heights a use permit was approved for a dispensary in 2004 following the passage of SB 420 at the state level in 2003. However, the facility never opened, according to the report.
The city amended its Municipal Code in 2012 to prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries entirely, the report said.
It is unclear what date the city’s current ordinance will be addressed at a future council meeting, but Schaefer’s proposal called for the item to be discussed within 60 days, which would mean a meeting in January or February. The item does not appear in the council’s upcoming Jan. 11, 2024, meeting agenda packet.
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By Mike Hazlip—
The City of Citrus Heights is slated to take up reconsideration of its ban on cannabis businesses this year, following...
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