BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer
Redwood City residents may have a shorter wait time when they order their marijuana from delivery companies. Last night (April 9) the City Council voted to allow delivery businesses to be located in the city.
The council’s 5-2 vote, with Vice Mayor Diane Howard and Councilman Jeff Gee dissenting, also allows marijuana nurseries to take root in the city.
Nurseries are where clones of the plants can be made and where the plant can grow for a period of time. The marijuana would not be allowed to be fully grown or harvested at the nursery. The city’s regulations on the businesses are a bit more stringent than the state’s but two proposed rules were made more lenient.
The city was originally going to have a 1,000-foot buffer between all marijuana businesses and schools, libraries, day cares, parks or youth centers. However, the council decided to revert to state law and have a 600-foot buffer.
Because of this change, Gee and Howard switched their votes from yes to no. The city also considered making nursery owners hire security guards for their businesses.
That is not required by the state, so the council decided against that rule.
Potential sites for the businesses are limited largely to the city’s east side. The businesses would be allowed east of Veterans Boulevard along Seaport Boulevard.
The businesses would also be allowed along Veterans Boulevard near the border with San Carlos, and along Highway 101 near Marsh Road.
Allowing nurseries and delivery warehouses in the city is part of officials’ “phased approach” to allow marijuana businesses inside city limits. Following the discussions on delivery businesses and nurseries, city officials may talk about whether to allow other marijuana businesses such as biotech centers or pot shops to open up.
If the city is going to tax deliveries of weed, it should consider taxes on other deliveries like pizzas and Amazon packages. They shouldn’t pick on one particular product but apply it to everything.