Last week, the six highest-scoring commercial cannabis applicants were announced. Their applications along with scoring sheets are now posted on the city’s website.
“Minimal redactions have been made to the applications to comply with law and privacy. The six highest-scoring applicants are the best qualified in this extremely regulated arena and are sufficiently capitalized to deliver the highest quality operations,” said City Manager Steve Mermell.
All six applicants have committed to community benefits, which was part of the scoring criteria and will be a requirement of each operator. Cannabis permits must be renewed annually, giving ample opportunity for compliance monitoring.
“The reality of this business is that it takes substantial resources, and technical and business expertise to operate successfully,” said Mermell. “Site control, site improvements, security and the like put entering into the cannabis business outside the reach of all but the most well-funded and regulatory-proficient applicants. Security concerns, testing concerns, and responsible dispensing of this particular product, which is transitioning from illegal to legal but heavily regulated, must be addressed and maintained at top level.”
The next step in the process involves these six applicants securing locations that meet state and city distance separations and successfully obtaining a Conditional Use Permit.
