Supervisors Delay Action on Pot Ordinance

An in unincorporated areas was suggested to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors during Tuesday's meeting.

After a full day's discussion, the board unanimously decided to revisit the urgency ordinance on July 27. 

Medicinal marijuana dispensaries operating within unincorporated areas, like Rosemont, are operating without any set regulations. Therefore, open code enforcements are serviced to each dispensary operating within an unincorporated section of Sacramento county.

The ultimate goal of the discussion Tuesday was to create a process and regulations so dispensaries could operate in unincorporated areas, said Sacramento County spokeswoman Chris Andis.

“The county does not have any existing zoning laws that allow for this kind of business to operate,” Andis said. “This is 'step one' toward creating rules and regulations for these kind of businesses. We want to create a careful planning process that balances the needs of the neighboring communities, the dispensaries and the medical patients.”

Currently, there are 45 open code enforcement cases on dispensaries located in unincorporated areas of the county.

There are at least three dispensaries near Rosemont: Dispensaries at 9345 La Riviera Dr., 9663 Folsom Blvd. and 2853 Bradshaw Rd. have received notices that they are violating county zoning laws.

Roberta MacGlashan, District 4 Representative on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, questioned how this urgency ordinance would mend the open code enforcements in action, which are currently straining county resources. 

Michelle Bach, county counsel, said current enforcements would be dropped and new ones applied when a new ordinance is adopted.

“Well that's an even worse answer,” MacGlashan said, while the crowd laughed and applauded. MacGlashan followed up the applause by saying, “I didn't mean for there to be applause or laughter. That is just not what we are trying to accomplish.”

With the board decision to revisit the urgency ordinance on July 27, current rules must be enforced leaving dispensaries to continue operating without any official regulation.

While the general consensus of public comment on Tuesday recognized the need for regulation, they also said the ordinance was being rushed through too quickly.