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Truckee councilors expected to give cannabis recommendation

Kelsie Longerbeam
klongerbeam@sierrasun.com

The Truckee Town Council is expected to finally make a recommendation for regulation of recreational and medical cannabis at their Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

The council has met multiple times over a 10-month period to discuss how to regulate the legalization of cannabis under Proposition 64.

California voters approved Proposition 64 last in November 2016, which legalizes the use of recreational marijuana by adults age 21 and up, and allows for the sale of cannabis and cannabis-derived products in local jurisdictions that choose to allow dispensaries to operate.



A consensus on cannabis regulation has yet to be reached, but a majority of town council members could be leaning toward a recommendation that would support allowing only medical cannabis access through delivery services.

This would also mean one or multiple “brick and mortar” facilities in limited and specified zones. These specified zones have separation standards of at least 600 feet from schools, day cares, youth centers, and possibly public parks.



If a consensus on a recommendation cannot be reached, or if implementation takes longer than January 1, 2018, an interim moratorium ordinance will be put in effect to temporarily prohibit a particular land use, specifically in this case, land use for the cannabis industry. This ordinance will block California state regulation of Proposition 64 from taking over.

“People are at opposite ends of the issue, they are either super for it or against it”, said Truckee Community Development Senior Planner Jenna Gatto. This is one of the reasons why a recommendation has not been given yet. On one hand, those who use cannabis medicinally are asking not to have to travel long distances to simply get their medicine. On the other hand, many people think it’s smart to see the effects of accepting cannabis in another town first, and opt out of being the guinea pig.

The Council has developed the slogan, “keep it classy, Truckee”, to guide their decision making. Under this slogan they have outlined that in order to include the cannabis industry into the area, we need to do so in a way that includes a respectful and inclusive dialogue on cannabis, considers community safety and neighborhood health, maintains Truckee’s town character, is economically sustainable, minimizes youth access, and treats it as a land use decision.

For more information, the Truckee cannabis dialogue meeting will be held, Tuesday, at Truckee Town Hall.

Kelsie Longerbeam is the news, business and environment reporter for the Sierra Sun and North Lake Tahoe Bonanza. She can be reached at klongerbeam@sierrasun.com or 530-550-2653. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @kelsielongerbm.


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