Delivery Debate
Like many other small municipalities in California, the city of St. Helena is pursuing the best way to address the implementation of Proposition 64. The city council voted to introduce an ordinance to apply the bulk of the city’s medical cannabis regulations to recreational cannabis and most notably, add delivery. Advocates voiced their opinion, saying that delivery is absolutely prudent and crucial to the local community.
On March 21, the Napa County Conservation, Development and Planning Commission recommended that the St. Helena City Council amend the city’s medical cannabis ordinance to accommodate recreational cannabis, while allowing for the delivery of legal amounts of cannabis. St. Helena’s medical cannabis regulations ban deliveries with the exception of deliveries that are conducted by primary caregivers.
“I encourage you to allow deliveries,” former city Councilmember Eric Sklar said at the May 9 council meeting. “There are people in our community who use marijuana for medical purposes. They are often elderly and can’t access marijuana because there’s no place to access it in the county.”
Later May 9, St. Helena City Council unanimously voted to introduce an ordinance that retains most of the language from the city’s medical cannabis regulations. The bulk of decision-making was general housekeeping, as it updated the city’s medical cannabis laws to regulate recreational cannabis as well. However, the most significant change to the city’s approach to recreational cannabis is allowing delivery, which was banned under its current medical cannabis regulations.
“I encourage you to allow deliveries,” former city Councilmember Eric Sklar said at the May 9 council meeting. “There are people in our community who use marijuana for medical purposes. They are often elderly and can’t access marijuana because there’s no place to access it in the county. They have to go to Santa Rosa or Vallejo. It’s not a very green thing to do to make people drive very far for a product, which is now legal.” Sklar is now interested in opening up his own dispensary in Calistoga. As a former city councilmember, Sklar is well aware of the due process that will take place, as well as the time and effort involved.
Mayor Alan Galbraith expressed the desire to tackle recreational regulations with extreme caution, while paying attention to how St. Helena’s sister communities are approaching the topic. Many community leaders feel unprepared to handle recreational cannabis regulations. Sklar, however, hopes the community doesn’t hesitate to take action. “I encourage you to not wait to start that process,” Sklar said. “Even though it’s easy just to say ‘No, we’re going to hold off and not do anything,’ the people of California voted in November to legalize this product. It’s now going to be the same as any other legal product—soap or lettuce or anything else. It should be available in the proper way—the right distances from schools, the right distances from churches etc. but the people have spoken.” Sklar continued to share that St. Helena residents’ voted in favor of Prop. 64 at a higher percentage that the state’s average. He also pointed out that cities like Calistoga and Napa aren’t dragging their feet to enact regulations on recreational cannabis operations.
If St. Helena does move to allow cannabis delivery in the city, it could reap the rewards of providing sufficient access to cannabis for those who depend on it.
