Cannabis urgency ordinance continues in South Lake Tahoe

"This is not about making money, its about doing it right," said Mayor Pro Tem Tom Davis during Tuesday's City Council vote on cannabis sales in South Lake Tahoe.

Davis was speaking about their decision to approve an urgency ordinance and to take their time in creating the City's ordinance for legal cannabis sales in South Lake Tahoe. The moratorium will remain in effect for 45 days and expires on January 21, 2018 unless the City Council extends it before then.

California will begin selling the temporary licenses to sell cannabis in the state on January 1, 2018. Those cities or counties without some sort of ordinance in place would be subject to allowing anyone with a state license to set up show in their community. Municipalities across the state are taking the same approach and is common practice as they study the issues related to cannabis in their jurisdictions.

Adults 21 and over can still legally possess, transport, and grow marijuana for recreational use and the urgency ordinance does not change that. People may grow up to six plants in their homes for personal use, not for sales.

The decision Tuesday does not affect sales of Medical Marijuana at Tahoe Wellness or any other like business in the state which fall under the old rules. Dispensaries may continue in operation for one year in order to come into compliance of state laws and ordinances in order to obtain a Type 10 license. Tahoe Wellness will have that year that beings January 1, 2018.

In California, dispensary owners are expected to obtain a Seller’s Permit from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and file Articles of Incorporation under the Corporations or Food and Agricultural Code. Also, depending on the local ordinances for the county or city the dispensary is located in, they may be required to obtain a business license and/or other permits.

The City has am ad-hoc Cannabis Subcommittee which has been meeting since October 26, 2017. It is made up of people without skin in the game, or those who won't benefit financially from the outcome. They are: Christina Wilson, David Turner, David Orr, Devin Middlebrook, Elizabeth Hallen, Francisco Rodriguez, Jane Flavin,
Jude Wood, Julie Garrett-Wright, Kelsey Magoon, Kevin McHugh, Natasha Schue, Peggy Eichhorn, Rosemary Manning and Sonia Rupp.

Mayor Pro Tem Tom Davis and Councilmember Brooke Laine are the Council's representatives on the committee. Laine said she expects the committee's plan to come before the Planning Commission in March andat have a council workshop about the same time. City Council could see the ordinance by the end of March or beginning of April, with all in place by summer.

Cannabis subcommittee information, meeting information and minutes is available on the City's website, http://www.cityofslt.us/index.aspx?NID=928.