Tuesday the Sacramento City Council is expected to officially make Sacramento a legal place to buy and sell recreational marijuana in 2018.
The city will recommend allowing some existing medical marijuana dispensaries to sell recreational pot starting Jan. 1. Sacramento has been on this track since California voters approved legalization last November.
Joe Devlin, Sacramento's Chief of Cannabis Policy and Enforcement, said the city hopes to embark on an "equity program" to help people who have already been selling marijuana without a license.
"What we're proposing is the establishment of a small business kind of support center that will help what are likely existing illegal cannabis businesses, manufacturers and help them transition into that legal marketplace," Devlin said.
Devlin said the program could include fee waivers or deferrals.
If the council approves, the City would cap the number of registered dispensaries at 30 and would issue new licenses using a lottery system.
The council voted last week to increase the number of police, code enforcement and administrative staff who will be dedicated to marijuana in the city to 54.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today