SANTA CRUZ — At its meeting Tuesday, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved the first reading of ordinance amendments that allow for on-site cannabis consumption at local retailers and farms in unincorporated territory.
The high-profile decision, narrowly passed with Supervisors Kim De Serpa and Monica Martinez casting “no” votes, gives existing cannabis retailers the option to establish an on-site consumption lounge under strict smoke-free workplace guidelines and air pollution regulations. Similarly, the majority of supervisors also agreed to create a three-year pilot program for on-site sales and consumption at cannabis farms.
There is currently no place in the county that cannabis can be legally consumed outside of an individual’s private residence, and proponents hope the new policies will give the struggling industry some added appeal and a much-needed financial boost.
In response to fears — voiced among the attending public and dissenting supervisors — about the new policy sparking a rash of intoxicated drivers on local roadways, Supervisor Manu Koenig, who has championed the process for developing these changes alongside Supervisor Felipe Hernandez since 2023, said he thinks the lounges could end up having the opposite effect.
“If anything, I think having a designated place where people could consume is going to bring more awareness about the fact that maybe (customers) should take an Uber to the dispensary or to the cannabis lounge. Maybe they should ask a friend to pick them up or drive them,” said Koenig. “To me this is about creating a viable, legal framework where they’ll be more opportunities for productive social interactions, for education, for monitoring, for messaging for dosage.”
The ordinances will be scheduled no later than March 20 for a second reading and final adoption.