Last night the City of Vista unveiled its Cannabis Social Equity Assessment, presented by SCI Consulting Group. The online meeting meeting discussed two documents, the assessment itself and its accompanying manual.
The meeting included public discourse, with live comments allowed throughout. Viewer comments ranged from specific details of qualification to questioning from unconvinced citizens, to the types of licenses offered to social equity applicants. One key detail that was re-emphasized was the limits of retail licenses due to Measure Z, a citizen’s initiative that qualified and passed in the November 2018 election. Part of Measure Z mandated a limit on retail licenses based on population shifts.
It was assumed by some commenters, that the recently shuttered Speedy Weedy location at 1080 Joshua Way would be made available to social equity applicants. Alas, population in Vista has declined to the point of not requiring that license be made available for now.
Other license types including manufacturing, cannabis lounge operations with onsite retail a possibility, and cultivation are likely to see social equity licenses before retail licenses.
The program will be partially funded by a $500,000 grant by GO Biz Cannabis Grant with no matching funds required.
Staff anticipates presenting the draft program manual to the City Council at the June 25 City Council meeting.
See also: San Diego Grower Develops Cannabis Strain for Lupus Relief