Mayor vetoes new rules allowing adults to buy weed in Fresno. Will it stop dispensaries?
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand has vetoed the latest legislation related to adult-use cannabis in town, but other elected officials say his order won’t stop dispensaries.
Brand struck down the ordinance while pointing to clauses related to security and labor unions, according to the statement issued on Monday.
“While I believe legal adult use cannabis sales in the city of Fresno are inevitable, I also believe we have a duty to be transparent and open in how that legislation is brought to constituents,” the statement said.
State voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016, allowing adults to use cannabis.
The City Council originally adopted an ordinance a year ago allowing medical marijuana in 2019 and recreational adult use in 2020 with the supermajority support of the council. New regulations adopted this year were more controversial, narrowly gaining approval.
Brand’s veto named a clause that required dispensaries to keep security videos for seven days, saying they should be kept for 90, according to his statement. His veto also said police should be allowed to recommend changes to security language in the final ordinance.
Councilmember Miguel Arias, who proposed the latest changes in the ordinance, said the mayor’s veto will not slow down the opening of any dispensaries in town.
The city is currently engaged in its mandatory environmental review process and is likely six months from having a dispensary, he said. That gives city leaders time to hash out the details.
“This industry, just like any other, represents millions of dollars the city needs to provide public services,” he said. “I’m confident that the mayor and City Council will resolve any differences.”
The city had estimated about $500,000 in tax revenue from cannabis this year. It’s estimated to grow to $5 million by 2024, according to city estimates.
Social equity
In the ordinance, at least one of the first seven retail weed dispensaries would be awarded through a social equity plan. At least one of the first eight commercial licenses for businesses like manufacturing and testing would be issued in the same way.
The equity clause is supposed to help communities historically affected by the “War on Drugs,” as well as other specific groups. During the War on Drugs, which gained steam during the 1980s, many people of color received what some see as overly severe prison sentences for nonviolent drug-related crimes.
Many say communities of color were also disproportionately targeted by law enforcement, and groups like the American Civil Liberties Union have the research to back it up.
Marijuana businesses with at least 10 employees would have been required to sign a labor peace agreement, which means the employees could unionize. The mayor’s veto said that clause would be too onerous when awarding a social equity applicant.
This story was originally published December 24, 2019 at 11:27 AM.
