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Novato will continue to consider recreational cannabis stores in the city following a divided vote by the City Council.
The town has been exploring the possibility for the last two years. City staff recently completed a community survey in which the majority of the 800 respondents were in favor of the stores.
Novato would be the first municipality in Marin to permit a store for non-medical cannabis, although delivery services operate in the county. Fairfax has a medicinal marijuana dispensary.
The Novato City Council heard the results of the community survey as well as a market survey at its meeting on April 14. With one member absent, it deadlocked on how to proceed.
Mayor Rachel Farac and Councilmember Pat Eklund wanted the city to stop looking into the possibility of permitting the stores, while Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Jacobs and Councilmember Tim O’Connor wanted city staff to continue. Councilmember Sandeep Karkal was absent, so the item was continued until the meeting on Tuesday.
The city received a substantial amount of community comments, both in favor and against the potential storefronts. Commenters at the council meeting included residents, people involved in the cannabis industry and health professionals.
“As a mom, I think about constantly what the right way is to integrate cannabis into a community and keep everyone safe. Protecting kids is not just a talking point, it’s very, very personal,” said resident Laura Fogelman, who works for PAX Labs Inc., a cannabis company. “The data is clear: Well regulated markets with licensed retailers are safer.”
“There are a lot of representatives of the industry tonight, but I would just like to agree that opening a storefront will normalize this,” said Janet Conley. “It’ll be like buying an ice cream cone, a cup of coffee. It’s not a message we need to send to children,”
The council considered two motions at the Tuesday meeting: O’Connor proposed further consideration of the cannabis businesses, and Farac wanted to direct staff to stop looking into it.
“People are directly affected, our children are affected, and I do not want to live in an environment where we do not put our people first,” Farac said. “They have the access if they want it.”
“There’s no other city in Marin County that has supported this, but Novato was one of the first to do delivery,” Eklund said. “And it’s working, and a storefront in my opinion would only entice youth to go in.”
Farac’s motion failed 3-2, with O’Connor, Jacobs, and Karkal voting in opposition. O’Connor’s motion passed 3-2, with Farac and Eklund in opposition.
City staff are expected to draft a potential policy and continue public engagement on the issue, reaching out to community groups and relevant stakeholders in May and June. The item will be presented to the Planning Commission in August and is expected to return to the council for consideration in September.
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