The same two council members who have supported legal cannabis activity in Morgan Hill in the past—Mayor Rich Constantine and Rene Spring—found themselves again on the losing side of a vote April 21 to consider a locally controlled commercial permitting and approval program.
“I don’t think I can get this at this time without burdening our staff” with an order to conduct more research.
The last time the council discussed cannabis was in November 2019, when the body voted 3-2 to reject a proposed ordinance that would allow licensed, regulated and taxed cannabis business in the city limits.
Spring at a meeting earlier this year asked the council to bring commercial cannabis back to the agenda to discuss whether the issue should be considered further.
Spring said he has heard from many friends, acquaintances and other residents who support commercial cannabis and have asked him to bring it back to the dais.
Prop 64 allows cities and counties to establish permitting and other ordinances for local cannabis industries—including retail, cultivation, distribution and testing operations.
Most of the dozen or so members of the public who addressed the council on the April 21 cannabis item asked the body to again reject commercial marijuana in Morgan Hill.
The planning commission’s proposal in 2019 would have allowed manufacturing, distribution, testing and up to four retail cannabis businesses in Morgan Hill.
Cannabis businesses outside Morgan Hill may deliver to customers in the city limits, and the city can collect taxes on such transactions.