Placer County Seeking Input on Medical Marijuana Regulation


Published on February 22, 2016

Placer County will host town hall meetings in March to seek community input on regulating medical marijuana sales and cultivation in unincorporated areas of the county. Two meetings are planned: March 9 in North Auburn, and March 16 in Rocklin.

The Placer board of supervisors voted in December 2015 to regulate medical marijuana in unincorporated areas of the county and directed staff to develop comprehensive regulations for their consideration.

Town hall attendees will have the opportunity to offer suggestions on the proposed regulation and ask questions of staff about the county's approach to regulation overall. Community and municipal advisory council votes don't determine county policy but will help staff refine the regulation and provide guidance to the county supervisors, so they can better understand their communities' wishes when they vote on it in the coming months.

The county's municipal advisory councils for Foresthill, Meadow Vista, Sheridan, North Auburn, Weimar/Applegate/Colfax and Newcastle/Ophir have all voted to support the county's direction.

Meeting details:

North Auburn
March 9, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Placer County Community Development Resource Center - Planning Commission Chambers
3091 County Center Drive

Rocklin
March 16, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Rocklin Event Center
2650 Sunset Boulevard

The county has identified a series of broad goals for staff to consider as it moves forward with developing the framework. Those goals include:

  • Promoting public health and safety, and protecting quality of life for all residents;
  • Reducing the size of the illicit market for cultivation and retail sale;
  • Preventing non-medical access and use by youth;
  • Reducing environmental harm to water, habitat and wildlife;
  • Providing clear criteria for responsible businesses and patients who wish to operate within the law;
  • Developing a fair system of regulation and taxation that supports public purposes;
  • Providing flexibility and authority for modification or adoption of additional measures into the regulatory process to ensure effective implementation.