Fresno gets weed dispensaries five years after California legalization. What took so long?

Last week, the city of Fresno gave preliminary approval to three businesses to begin retail cannabis sales.

It also granted four licenses for cannabis cultivation and non-retail micro businesses.

The dispensaries could be open by mid-November, according to a schedule from the city’s Office of Cannabis Oversight.

Fresno is California’s largest city without recreational, brick-and-mortar pot shops, one of the last open territories in this emerging market, despite the fact that it’s been legal for medical purposes in the state since the passage or Prop. 215 in 1996 and for recreational purposes since Prop. 64 passed in 2016.

So, what took so long?

California voters passed Proposition 64, the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act, by 57%.

While the law legalized nonmedical, recreational marijuana, it left regulations up to the local governments.

In Fresno, that meant a clear ban on all recreational cannabis sales and cultivation. Residents could still grow up to six marijuana plants inside a private residence or accessory structure “that is fully enclosed and secure.” Otherwise, growing plants within the city limits — like outside, in your backyard — was prohibited and could come with a $1,000 fine per plant.

Measure A and medical marijuana ordinance

It wasn’t until 2018 that things began to change.

That year, voters in Fresno passed Measure A, which would taxed potential commercial cannabis business operations to the tune of $10 million annually. That money would be used for police, roads and other community services.

“Whether you agree with cannabis or you think it’s moral to use it or not, it’s here. It is now going to be part of our lives forever,” then-City Councilmember Clint Olivier said at the time.. “Right now we have illicit cannabis businesses in city limits that are not paying taxes. This is a way to license these businesses and tax them and mitigate the effect of cannabis on our city.”

That same year, the city council passed the Cannabis Retail Business and Commercial Cannabis Business Ordinance.

At the time, the ordinance was specific to medical use and only allowed for seven dispensaries — one in each city council district. It also prohibited from owning businesses felons convicted of certain crimes, people with convictions related to controlled substances other than cannabis, and people who previously had a cannabis license suspended.

It was met with opposition fromlocal church leaders. Pastors Paul L. Binion II of Westside Church of God, B.T. Lewis II of Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church and Elias Loera of Christian Temple Fresno all staunchly opposed the proposal at the time.

That original timeline called for medical marijuana sales by 2019 and recreational sales by January 2020.

Arguments and delays

What followed was several years of arguing — among the mayor and council members and advocates — about the details of the ordinance. Should the ordinance contain an equity clause? One was finally adopted. Should the city manager have full determination over who gets cannabis businesses licenses and their location? There were revisions passed by the city council and vetoes from then-Mayor Lee Brand. Each new revision caused delay.

The application process began in earnest following a revision to the ordinance in 2020. Seventy-four applications were received for retail businesses across the city last December. Of those, 35 were selected as finalists for the standard retail licenses. They include some locally known names and some national cannabis brands like Cookies and Stiiizy.

The city manager will make his final review on the standard retail applications by the end of August, according to the city’s latest timeline.

This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 1:19 PM.