The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Nov. 1
PASO ROBLES — Originally set to be approved on the consent agenda, the Paso Robles City Council discussed and eventually approved two new resolutions regarding commercial cannabis delivery services within the city limits at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 18.
Councilmembers Chris Bausch and John Hamon requested consent agenda items 16 and 17 to be removed for separate consideration.
“I asked this be pulled because there were a lot of folks that reached out,” Bausch went on to explain, “The consensus that I have come across in previous meetings is that there is support for the existing medical marijuana delivery services and would like to see it stop there, and I am in agreement with that.”
Item 16 — Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance 1126, Amendment to the Zoning Code to Allow Commercial Cannabis Delivery Services — was originally presented in a public hearing on Oct. 4.
Per the staff report, the “ordinance temporarily allows existing permitted medicinal cannabis delivery services to make commercial cannabis deliveries and establishes standards required of new businesses that would seek a Conditional Use Permit to operate commercial cannabis delivery services in the City, among other clarifying amendments.”
Before voting on the ordinance, Hamon explained why he would be voting no.
“I want make sure you understand that there is a different voice out there that you may not be hearing and again, its just one more step down the road,” he said.
Mayor Steve Martin stated that he did not vote to approve commercial cannabis in the state or local voting processes.
However, he stated, “I find it extremely hypocritical when I go out as the mayor of Paso Robles to promote our community as being the wine capital of California … and we all know that when you abuse alcohol, you have psychosis, you ruin your liver, you develop cancer.
So it’s very hard for me to be able to, with a straight face to say that I’m going to promote a potentially addictive and dangerous substance on the one hand but restrict a potentially addictive and dangerous substance on the other. Especially when the population has voted to approve both.”
Approved with a 3-2 vote (Hamon and Bausch voting no), the resolution allows three existing medical marijuana delivery services in Paso Robles city limits to also deliver commercial cannabis.
Also, during the Oct. 4 City Council meeting, staff was directed to establish the number of permits allowed to operate commercial cannabis delivery services within the city limits. Staff proposed four permits be authorized to operate.
After a lengthy discussion, council approved three permits to be authorized to operate commercial delivery within city limits. Council did clarify that they can increase the number of permits in the future. Hamon and Bausch also voted no on approving the permits.
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 6:30 p.m.
