Santa Cruz County approves cannabis lounges, retail farm sales
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors are moving forward with plans to allow pot lounges to open up, but supervisors are making some changes.
Pot lounges will still be allowed to open at existing dispensaries. Yet, under the approved amendments, dispensaries that overserve their customers could have their business licenses revoked.
Supervisors also moved to include an education component, so staff will be trained to recognize signs of impairment and know when to cut customers off.
"They're aren't safeguards or conditions in our ordinance that clarify we will, or we can revoke a permit if there is a bad actor. If one of the lounges is over-serving and causes harm to the community," District 5 Monica Martinez said.
This proposal passing means the lounges are set to be legal in the county's unincorporated areas but not its cities.
People will also be able to buy marijuana at cannabis farms in Santa Cruz County. The Board of Supervisors gave plans the green light today in a close 3-2 vote.
This new three-year pilot program allows farmers to apply for a new business license to sell their products on-site.
It allows participating farms to sell cannabis as part of their farm tours.
New amendments allow a farm's license to be revoked if they overserve their customers and require a similar educational component to the cannabis lounge ordinance, training staff to recognize signs of impairment.
