Cannabis businesses

I am conscious that many Monument residents have concerns about cannabis, especially about ensuring that minors do not obtain access to it. I will not support any specific business application without a thorough process of review, with multiple opportunities for residents to voice concerns. And I regard it as my responsibility to make sure those concerns are addressed and not passed over.

I support regulation and permitting of cannabis businesses in Concord on a similar basis to those which sell alcohol and/or tobacco. That means, among other things:

• Products to be sold via controlled access – no self-service.
• Businesses to be located at a minimum distance from schools.
• Businesses required to obtain a specific license for cannabis sales at a defined location.
• Businesses held responsible to prevent minors from obtaining their cannabis products, on penalty of being shut down if they do not.

Cannabis retail already exists in Concord – mostly in the form of delivery – and is not going away. Currently it consists entirely of illegal businesses, which by their very nature cannot be inspected, regulated, or held accountable to address the community’s concerns – nor do most of them provide reputable, properly dosed medicine for those who rely on cannabis for relief from serious pain.

I would like to see existing illegal operations in Concord squeezed out by regulated, accountable businesses. I am convinced by real-life examples elsewhere in the Bay Area that a cannabis retail business can be as responsible and safe as a CVS or Walgreens.