Another Link in the Chain

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n Wednesday, Sept. 5, Oceanside City Council decided in a 3-2 vote to allow two medical cannabis delivery businesses to operate in areas that are zoned for industrial use, making it the first city in north San Diego County to permit any kind of sale of cannabis since it was legalized in 2016. Sales of cannabis for recreational use are still strictly prohibited within city limits, despite the passing of the Proposition 64 back in November 2016.

Oceanside Mayor, Peter Weiss, joined Councilmember Jerry Kern and Deputy Mayor Chuck Lowery in voting in favor of permitting the delivery services, while Councilmember Jack Feller and Councilmember Esther Sanchez voted in opposition. Feller and Sanchez both oppose having any legal cannabis businesses in Oceanside. Kern and Lowery each served on an ad hoc committee that recommended as many as four storefront medical cannabis dispensaries be allowed to operate.

Back in April, the city council voted to permit the commercial cultivation of cannabis in the city, but declined to allow dispensaries. There is currently an Oceanside city ordinance that allows inbound cannabis deliveries from other areas to the city, so long as business operators obtain the correct license. To date, there are only two such businesses with permits to make legal deliveries to Oceanside residents.

CULTURE reached out to San Diego Cannabis Delivery Alliance President and Flame & Leaf Founder, Sam Humeid, who explained the benefits of this recent legislation. “Allowing cannabis delivery benefits the city of Oceanside by completing the cannabis supply chain,” Humeid said. “Throughout California, the major bottleneck stymying the success of cannabis legalization is the shortage of licensed retail outlets. From a broader perspective, allowing cannabis delivery today ensures the operators are licensed by the Bureau of Cannabis Control in addition to local permits. The stringent quality control regulations from Sacramento protect the cannabis consumer from mishandled products or harmful residues and contaminants.”

“Allowing cannabis delivery benefits the city of Oceanside by completing the cannabis supply chain.”

Humeid also pointed out that Oceanside is home to a large population of military veterans and senior citizens who are enthusiastic about trying different cannabis therapies, but fear purchasing and consuming potentially dangerous, “laced” products from unlicensed outlets. “The introduction of a trusted, licensed and local source of medical cannabis products will provide much-needed access to the myriad of products designed to foster wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle,” said Humeid. He credited Deputy Mayor Chuck Lowery and Councilman Jerry Kern for championing comprehensive cannabis regulations in a historically prohibitionist city. “I am honored to have played a small part in the process, having made a public safety presentation on dispensary security, at invitation of the Medical Marijuana Ad Hoc Committee. The San Diego Cannabis Delivery Alliance is poised to assist government officials and aspiring entrepreneurs develop long lasting retail delivery service relationships which satisfy consumer demand while preserving community culture,” he said.

The city accepted applications for M-Type 9 non-storefront retailer licenses through Oct. 1, according to The Coast News. When asked if granting only two business licenses to serve all of Oceanside was enough, Humeid cited his 12 years of pioneering the legal cannabis retail sector and responded, “Very simply, no. It is clear that arbitrarily limiting the number of licensed delivery services only bolsters the nefarious actions of the illicit market.”