Pro/Con: Measure Y — cannabis

Sonoma’s Measure Y would amend the Municipal Code to permit personal cannabis cultivation on all residential properties and establishment and operation of cannabis businesses within the City, including commercial cultivation, manufacturing, retail, delivery, distribution, testing, and special events.

The Sun invited these 500-word arguments in favor and opposition of the proposal. Each is signed by the author/s.

Yes on Measure Y

The primary purpose of Measure Y is to allow the voters themselves to decide on local access to legal cannabis. The City Council failed repeatedly to honor the mandate in 2016 when City voters approved the passage of the Statewide Prop. 64 “Cannabis Legalization” by a two-to-one margin. But for some inexplicable reason, with the advice of the City Attorney and the City Manager, the City Council decided time-and-again that they would not honor the wishes of its citizens, the same citizens that elected them along with their oath of office to represent citizen wishes.

Frustration is what created Measure Y in the Spring of 2018, after two years of stonewalling by the City Council. 

Adding to that frustration, the City Council prevented an almost 800 voter signature-qualified Measure Y from reaching the November 2018 Ballot Box through a dubious and disingenuous Council option. That maneuver was an act of temporary voter-suppression, only delaying the process, not stopping it. It’s here for the voters now, and it can no longer be suppressed.

What triggered the drafting of Measure Y was a pair of Town Hall meetings in the Spring of 2018, held at the Community Center and organized by the City Manager.  

The “purpose” was to offer the citizen attendees the opportunity to hear the City’s “unbiased” panel on considerations for legal cannabis in Sonoma. In the end, over 100 attendees were asked in an anonymous straw-poll to choose one: Strongly Oppose, Oppose, Neutral, Support, or Strongly Support cannabis businesses in Sonoma. The attendees, almost unanimously, chose the “Strongly Support” mandate. 

The poll clearly caught the City by surprise: The next day when asked about the City’s reaction, the City Manager said “These Town Hall straw polls are irrelevant” and then couldn’t explain why they even hosted the meetings!

Measure Y is not mainly about “allowing cannabis growing” as detractors will argue. It will not create “a row of pot shops” or create an un-checked criminal industry. Furthermore, it is not “designed or intended as a specific goal to benefit the signatory in favor of the measure” as the City has publicly stated. 

Measure Y will create a modest and open free-enterprise opportunity, a low-key economic-engine that could include light product manufacturing, distribution, testing, dispensary, and delivery services all strictly licensed, monitored, taxed, and audited by the California Bureau of Cannabis Control. Also, Measure Y will not create an exclusive monopoly for one out-of-town licensee such as the one the City Council recently authorized as a biased token to Sonoma citizens, motivated by Measure Y.

Measure Y is mainly a Zoning Ordinance adjustment that permits cannabis businesses in Commercial properties without a lengthy and expensive hearing process, much the same as for banks, retail stores, grocery stores, auto parts, offices, etc. But realistically, after taking into consideration School, Library, and Plaza setbacks as well as the properties themselves, it will amount to five potential locations that could qualify, according to a consultant hired by the City itself!

Yes on Y.

Signed:

— Jon Early, Van Solkov, Bill Boerum, Ken Brown; Sonoma Citizens for Local Access

No on Y

The “No” on Y campaign believes local access to cannabis makes our City better. In 2018, Sonoma voted to have a pro-cannabis majority on its City Council, which quickly developed a progressive cannabis ordinance, ultimately selecting a locally-owned, experienced operator as Sonoma’s first retail dispensary. 

Monopoly, you say? Excuse us, but nay! The City’s ordinance also allows a locally-based delivery service, cannabis testing facility, and cannabis manufacturing operation. These businesses join at least six cannabis delivery services currently operating in Sonoma. This is an impressive start for a city the size of Sonoma, and it shows our elected leaders are up to the task of growing our local cannabis economy.

Y is detrimental for our local cannabis economy because: 

— Y is Unnecessary: The City’s ordinance is working! The Council approved our first-ever retail dispensary and will add a locally-based delivery service, in addition to the six legal delivery services operating in town.  

— Y Disregards Safeguards: The City’s competitive process results in higher wages/benefits for cannabis workers, and businesses are required to allow employees to organize more easily, if they so choose. The City’s process ensures new cannabis businesses are required to educate tourists about local rules limiting impacts on our community.  

— Y is Extreme, Eliminates Local Control: Y allows an unlimited number of cannabis businesses licenses with NO environmental review, NO community benefit considerations and NO public input. 

— Y Disproportionately Impacts West Side Neighborhoods: A study on the impacts of Measure Y reveals 33 locations that could host cannabis businesses if adopted, all of which are on the west side of town. This will result in an overconcentration of cannabis businesses–including commercial cultivation.

— Y Threatens Small Business: Y will lead commercial real estate prices to skyrocket as much as four times current market value as investor-driven national cannabis businesses look to Sonoma as an easy entry into the Bay Area. Our local businesses will not be able to compete.

— Y is Legally Problematic: The proponent’s attempt to write a ballot measure, primarily focused on benefiting his own venture, asks voters to consider a poorly written, difficult to interpret initiative that doesn’t consider community impact or state law. Potentially delaying storefront cannabis in Sonoma.

— Y is Disingenuous: Y strikes us as an effort to allow any type of cannabis business at the former Community Cafe location. Even Justice Grown, a finalist in the City’s process that was not selected, initially opposed Y, stating Y would “lead to a dispensary on every corner,” and offering legal services to the City to help fend it off. Unfortunately, Justice Grown gradually changed its tune telling the Council that it was “negotiating” with Jon Early and “If we won… we might be able to help” with Measure Y.

We urge Sonoma residents to vote NO on Measure Y. The City’s ordinance protects workers, maintains community character, and gives every Sonoman a right to weigh in on the environmental, neighborhood and financial health of the city when considering adding more cannabis to our city. 

— Sean Hamlin, Sonoma resident opposing and organizing against Measure Y

More info on Measure Y on the City website

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