It looks like San Diego’s hemp farms and manufacturing sites will be concentrated to three areas of the city: Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa, and near the Mexican border.
Kearny Mesa and Mira Mesa both fall under District 6, currently Councilman Chris Cate’s district.
Last week, 78 proposals were submitted to open marijuana related businesses in San Diego. Of the 78, 67 are targeted for one of those communities.
Most of that is because of the strict zoning regulations that limit pot properties across the city.
Interestingly, the San Diego City Council, led by Councilman Chris Ward, ruled that each district have 4 marijuana businesses, these proposals don’t abide by those guidelines. It will be interesting to see how the City Council manages this cluster of proposals, in that 78 is 38 more than the established citywide cap of 40.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Comprehensive site plans including notices of site ownership had to be submitted to the city.
Proposals also had to submit an initial $9,000 check for administrative costs. Those costs are expected to rise as the application process continues. City officials say those costs could escalate to around $30,000 once a dispensary opens.
Applicants will need both a state and city permit to operate legally.
About 40 businesses have already started the growing and pot manufacturing without formal city approval. Those businesses will be allowed to continue operating for two years, but that doesn’t guarantee they will be given a permit to legally operate long term.
BY THE NUMBERS
If you’re looking to check out the process more in depth you can find at andiego.gov/marijuanainfo.
Here’s a zip code breakdown for proposals:
92121 leads the city with 25. That area covers western Mira Mesa and Sorrento Valley.
92154 is second with 19. That area includes Otay Mesa and communities near the border.
92111 comes in third with 11 applicants. That area encompasses Kearny Mesa.
92123 also in Kearny Mesa and 92126, in eastern Mira Mesa, round out the applications with six each.