Merced County sets its boundaries for commercial cannabis

Cannabis: A substance listed as a Schedule One Drug for its “high potential for abuse” under federal law, but which is soon to be legalized for recreational use under California state law.

As always, leave it to California to push the boundaries.

Now, local county boards and city councils have the fortune of regulating marijuana’s local use and distribution, and many are moving toward having ordinances in place by the beginning of the New Year. Merced County is one of them.

Last week, the board of supervisors voted 3-1 on an ordinance regulating cannabis in unincorporated Merced County.

It sets the number of personal-grow plants to six per residence (indoor only) and prohibits commercial activity in unincorporated parts of the county. It also allows an exception for medicinal cannabis deliveries coming from outside unincorporated Merced County.

The county also set in place safety requirements for those choosing to grow indoors. These requirements are aimed at protecting residents – mainly children – and include keeping indoor grows behind locked doors and away from common living spaces.

When governing over a divisive topic like this, not everyone will be happy with the results. But I’m hopeful our ordinance strikes a balance in our communities and addresses public safety concerns.

While Merced County will allow personal grows of six plants, the county’s regulation will ban commercial cannabis activities. The board was sympathetic to people who need cannabis for medical purposes, so we included a provision covering that, too.

It’s important to remember that while Merced County as a whole approved of Proposition 64 (The Adult Use of Marijuana Act) in 2016, people living in unincorporated parts of Merced County (outside its six cities), voted 54 percent against Proposition 64.

While the county’s constituency includes its six cities, this cannabis ordinance only applies to the unincorporated areas. Each of the cities will have the ability to adopt their own ordinances and regulate – or even ban – cannabis activities within their boundaries.

The county’s ordinance aligns with the position taken by the Merced County Farm Bureau as well as countless other local organizations, including various neighborhood watch groups in unincorporated areas.

At the county, we need to be cognizant of our constituents’ desires as well as our budget. While the sale and cultivation of cannabis has the potential to draw in additional tax dollars, there would be a significant cost to the county in terms of enforcement and regulation. How high those costs could rise is unknown at this point, but we have seen other jurisdictions go through financial hardships due to additional expenses incurred by allowing recreational cannabis activities.

As a board, the supervisors consider these issues with great care and considerable deliberation in an effort to do what’s best for our respective communities. Moving forward, we will continue to monitor the effects of this ordinance, especially as the state rolls out regulations of its own.

Matters involving cannabis will remain a top issue for local governments in the coming months and years. As future decisions need to be made, we will continue working with our constituents as well as our local, state and federal partners to create policy that is right for Merced County.

This story was originally published November 23, 2017 at 9:21 AM with the headline "Merced County sets its boundaries for commercial cannabis."