San Jose Passes Ordinance for Recreational Cannabis

San Jose City Council passed a new ordinance on Tuesday effectively allowing the city’s medical cannabis dispensaries to sell recreational cannabis after January 1.

Normally it’s not that surprising to see certain cities ban or approve recreational cannabis based on the makeup of that region and its history with making cannabis-related decisions. But this time, San Jose City Council members have completely flipped their opinion on the subject. Earlier this month, the council discussed and agreed in a single week that they do not want to see recreational cannabis in San Jose, thus instituting a temporary ban on cultivation, processing and cannabis sales. Their reasoning was to allow them more time to put necessary regulations in place.

Now, the council seems to have completely changed its mind, thanks to the feedback of local community members. According to CBS SF Bay Area, some individuals reminded the council that all districts in San Jose had voted for recreational cannabis in the election last year.

The Mercury News interviewed the president and founder of the Silicon Valley Cannabis Alliance, Sean Kali-rai, prior to the city council’s vote, who noted that upholding the will of the voters is paramount. “It’s a bold step for the city to take,” said Kali-rai. “It’s about honoring the will of the voters. And because San Jose has figured out how to regulate the medical market, they’re confident moving forward with the recreational market. If we don’t do this, we’ll see a return to the unregulated market prior to 2016 where there were 100-plus clubs and illegal drug sales everywhere.”

With this newest decision, the city of San Jose will not only allow recreational cannabis to be sold at medical dispensaries, but it will also allow delivery services as well.