If the first three days of city survey are any indication, Benicians are fine with allowing recreational and medical marijuana cultivation and sales in town.
The city manager launched an interactive website called Benicia Town Hall on Monday, posting issues and questions for the public to respond to.
The first subject: “How do you feel about cannabis in our community?”
Proposition 64 legalized recreational use and cultivation of marijuana in California, but each town and community has the right to decide the extent to which the laws will be applied locally. Benicia has until early next year to figure it out, or state regulators will move in and take over.
So far, 161 residents have responded. As of mid-day Wednesday, nearly 69 percent of respondents said that commercial storefronts should be allowed for both medical and recreational marijuana. Fifteen percent said no, and 16 percent said only medical marijuana dispensaries should be allowed.
For those who voted “yes” on allowing sales here, nearly 52 percent said that stores on First Street downtown should be allowed to sell it, while 46 percent said no to this. Sixty percent said retail and dispensary sales of marijuana should be allowed in shopping centers like Southampton, with 36 percent dissenting.
Of those surveyed, an overwhelming amount of people agreed that if retail sales are permitted, the Industrial Park is the place to do it, with 82 percent of respondents saying yes. Most respondents also said that there should be stricter laws about the dispensaries and their proximity to schools.
State law requires them to be at least 600 feet away, but 56 percent surveyed said that the number should be at least 1,000 feet away. As for cultivation in Benicia, 61 percent said they support it; 80 percent of those people support medical cannabis production, with 66 percent supporting recreational production.
As to where this production should take place, more than 90 percent said that the Industrial Park is the place to do it. Taxation was also popular, with 90 percent of respondents supporting a voter-approved tax measure, should sales be legalized here. As of July 19, 161 people responded, but voters in Benicia approved Prop. 64 in November by 60.86 percent, a number that appears similar to these survey results so far.
The survey will be up until 5 p.m. on July 31. Anyone wishing to weigh in should go toci.benicia.ca.us/beniciatownhall#peak_democracy and sign up. The city council will be relying on these responses to help them make their final decision, city manager Lorie Tinfow said.
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