Cannabis Update for Santa Barbara County
Regulation Growing in Fits and Starts from Goleta to Lompoc
In the still very theoretical world of legalized recreational cannabis, the City of Goleta could theoretically become the epicenter of the most intensely licensed cannabis county in the entire state of California. Last week, Goleta’s City Council voted to allow as many as 15 dispensaries. What this means in reality, however, remains far from clear. Goleta officials are not certain that 15 permit-friendly locations actually exist within city limits, nor is it clear exactly where the number 15 came from. “The Planning Commission pulled that number out of its pocket,” explained city spokesperson Valerie Kushnerov.
Many in the cannabis trade question whether Goleta has the population necessary to sustain more than two storefront operations, assuming that voters approve the city’s proposed cannabis tax this November. By contrast, the City of Santa Barbara is poised to allow three storefront adult recreational dispensaries, and the County of Santa Barbara is allowing eight throughout its unincorporated territory. Before any applications for county permits can be submitted, however, the California Coastal Commission has to sign off on the county’s pot ordinance, and that’s not expected to take place until sometime between next January and June.
The City of Lompoc appears to be the most accommodating to the new industry, at least on paper, and is not proposing to impose any numerical cap on retail storefronts at all. Lompoc officials expect that space and distance requirements — from schools, parks, and other dispensaries — will limit the number, as will market constraints. Even so, Lompoc is also the only municipality to propose allowing cannabis clubs — the pot equivalent of wine-tasting rooms — where on-site consumption is permitted. Initially, the Lompoc City Council had voted not to impose any tax on the new industry, but last week, the council changed its mind and is expected to place a schedule of various cannabis taxes to the voters for approval this coming November.
