San Leandro’s first of three medical-only cannabis dispensary finally opened its doors in January, three years after it was granted its license and a year after marijuana was legalized for recreational use in California.
Blüm opened on Jan. 11 near Kaiser Permanente. They are one of three business that were granted a license to sell medical-only cannabis in 2016 but are the first of the three to be fully operational.
In 2016, 75 percent of the city of San Leandro voted to pass measure NN. This would impose an ongoing tax of up to 10 percent of gross receipt sales on medical marijuana businesses in the city. The measure was designed to use the funds generated strictly on city maintenance projects.
In Nov. 2018, two years after passing measure NN and issuing those licenses, the city council discussed the possibility of adding another tax measure on the 2020 ballot to accrue additional funds to assist those projects that would have already benefited from measure NN if the dispensaries had already been operational.
“We would like very much for them to open and as of now it stands that the other two or no more than a few months away from opening their doors.” said San Leandro city manager Jeff Kay.
The other two businesses granted a license included Davis Street Wellness Center and Harborside dispensary. Both Harborside and Blüm have locations currently operating in Oakland.
The initial delay in progress for these permit holders had a lot to do with the rapid changing world of cannabis.
“They’ve all made it clear right now that a medical-only system, which is what we have here, is not as viable economically as it was when we issued those permits because adult use is now the law and the norm in most cities that allow cannabis,” Kay said.
Kay believes that Blüm’s opening could have a real impact on the cannabis industry within the city and the possibility of opening up sales for recreational use will be discussed in the next city council meeting later this month.