Topic of cannabis businesses in Marina sparks debate

An ordinance to allow Marina businesses to sell cannabis is sparking a debate. Marina voters will have the final say on ‘Measure V’ in the November 6th election.

Many of the town’s neighboring communities, such as Seaside, Del Rey Oaks and Santa Cruz, have passed laws allowing businesses to sell cannabis. Just down the road in Del Rey Oaks is Monterey Bay Alternative Medicine. Customer, Gordon Smith, said he’s happy that a shop like this has come to The Peninsula. “People are gonna smoke whether they buy it illegally or legally. I think every city better drop the old “morals” and let marijuana be sold,” said Smith.

Right now, the Marina city council is split on the topic, with two members in favor and three against. One of those in favor is the town’s mayor, Bruce Delgado. Mayor Delgado said the legalization of marijuana businesses would do wonders for the city’s economy. “It makes sense that we give the citizens access so they don’t have to drive to another city to buy product that they want to use. While they’re in other cities they’ll do other shopping. They’ll go to Safeway or some other place in those cities that they travel to get their cannabis product,” said Delgado.

Mayor Delgado said a recent city report estimates that marijuana businesses would bring in somewhere between $75,000-$100,000 in yearly revenue. ” It’s not a huge amount of money but that amount of money could employ one or two police officers or one or two firefighters,” said Delgado.

Marina city councilwoman, Nancy Amadeo, said she believes accepting ‘Measure V’ could hurt Marina business, especially at the city’s airport. ” We have huge opportunity out there and that opportunity could disappear,” said Amadeo.

She said she fears that any U.S. Government related operation at the airport might be chased away, since marijuana is still considered illegal under federal law. “When you can’t expand your airport because you’ve been operating a business that is illegal by federal law. That has a huge detrimental effect,” said Amadeo.

In the 2016 election, 64% of Marina voters voted “yes” on legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, but how residents will respond to this new proposal is still up in the air.

View the City of Marina’s cannabis initiative by visiting, www.cityofmarina.org.