Monterey County Board of Supervisors moving forward to potentially bringing cannabis lounges within the county

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV)- The Monterey County Board of Supervisors directed staff to change an ordinance to bring cannabis lounges within the county potentially.

A report from the county finds there are 41 cannabis consumption lounges within the state. The report also said an ordinance supporting cannabis lounges would take time to put in place.

Aram Stoney, owner of Big Sur Canna Botanicals hopes to one day take his cannabis shop to the next level. He wants to turn his shop into a lounge.

:"This would provide a safe place for, people to, to consume," said Stoney. "I mean, you know, the last thing we want them to do is, you know, go to their car in the parking lot, right?"

Stoney says the cannabis industry has been struggling.

"We've seen, a reduction in revenues from 2021 to 2023," Aram Stoney, CEO of Big Sur Canna-Botanicals.

Right now, there are 41 cannabis lounges throughout the state, none in the county of Monterey.

County supervisors agreed to adjust some of its ordinances to allow for lounges, but are asking for some specific requirements.

"I made the motion that they be within a mile of the city limits. So that one you have, a clientele is close by that there's public transportation because people may need that afterward," Church said.

Church says only current dispensaries will be able to offer lounges.

Six of nine dispensaries are located within Supervisor Church's District.

"I don't want North County to become a cannabis dau tourist destination," said Church

Supervisors heard a variety of concerns about allowing cannabis lounges.

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office says "Drugged DUIs" related to marijuana use are hard to prove in court.

Stoney says his shop has the luxury of being near public transportation to eliminate concerns about drugged driving.

"We have a bus stop right, right down there if they want to take the bus," Stoney said. "Played around with the idea of having, you know having shuttles and maybe that we could coordinate between places, locally,"

In the meeting, county officials said lounges could be indoors or outdoors.

County supervisors did say they plan to discuss this topic again soon but did not have a date.