City of Santa Monica, CA
10/31/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/31/2024 13:28
Justice, Equity & Diversity: Santa Monica asks for public input on adult-use cannabis equity program
October 31, 2024 12:11 PM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Oct. 31, 2024) - The city of Santa Monica is seeking community feedback to help shape the social equity component of its adult-use cannabis program.
This program marks another step forward in Santa Monica's effort to implement legal adult-use cannabis sales in the city.
The Santa Monica City Council adopted an Interim Zoning Ordinance in 2023 to allow the city's two existing medicinal cannabis retailers to sell adult-use cannabis products. Per Council direction, staff is currently preparing an ordinance to allow adult-use cannabis businesses of all types that will include a cannabis social equity program.
The social equity component will be informed by community feedback in addition to data on local cannabis criminal arrests and demographics. The goal of the equity component is to ensure that people and communities most affected by past state and federal criminalization of cannabis have fair opportunities to benefit from the legal cannabis industry.
As part of the social equity assessment, residents are encouraged to fill out a 10-minute survey, available in English and Spanish, by Nov. 30 to share input on the impacts of historic cannabis criminalization particularly in groups that have been most strongly impacted such as communities of color.
Community members are also invited to a cannabis equity workshop on Nov. 13 at Ken Edwards Center to hear a general overview of the legal cannabis industry, learn about cannabis criminalization impacts in Santa Monica and look ahead to future phases of the cannabis program.
The social equity assessment will be considered in developing key findings and recommendations in the ordinance and cannabis program.
The draft ordinance and assessment are tentatively scheduled for Planning Commission and City Council review in early 2025.
For more information, visit santamonica.gov/programs/cannabis-in-santa-monica.
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Tati Simonian
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