THE GRASS IS GREENER ON CENTER STREET: CANNABIS TESTING SITE TO OPEN

By Rachel Williams

 

 

July 20, 2024 (La Mesa)—Sprouting along Center Street’s southerly side is a budding industry propagating the cultivation of cannabis products like weeds. The planning commission favored its first marijuana distribution facility last Wednesday.

 

Center Street Distribution LLC, a privately funded project, will serve on behalf of the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) to ensure small quantities of certain cannabis products, such as vapes or pre-rolls, meet safety regulations before delivering to designated dispensaries. They anticipate a minimal amount of employees, maybe three or four people, who will conduct business indoors, according to Anna Ulezko, a representative of the Center Street Distribution LLC. The distributor is responsible for destroying products that show a positive result for contaminants and impurities, known as batch testing.  

 

“It’s cleaner than strawberries,” Ulezko said.

 

The building is currently constructed with roll-up doors, according to Lynette Santos (photo, right), the Director of Community Development. The company vehicle will enter the building, employees then load the delivery batch and the minivan proceeds to drop off at assigned dispensaries, so the community shouldn’t expect external activity since operations are held within the distribution center. 

 

“There is no packaging happening. The manufacturers are responsible for providing the product packaged to the distributor. What happens is only the batch testing. The product always stays in the container. It’s super regulated and it’s very simple,” Abhey Schweitzer said. 

 

The multitenant industrial building is comparable to the surrounding area's height, size, and structure. A low traffic impact is expected without increased noise generated from this facility.  The only alterations will include the installation of an ADA-accessible bathroom, lighting and security. Height restrictions won’t be necessary, according to Santos. 

 

There will be a 24/7 fixed camera video surveillance system, with a minimum radius of 50-ft surrounding the premises that will be monitored by a state-licensed security system, meeting the municipal code requirements. The operation is contingent on non-compliance issues, such as loitering, noise and odor complaints.

 

Meanwhile, Joni Burnett (photo, left), a local realtor for 34 years, believes the cannabis industry doesn’t pose a direct threat to the residential market, but that’s contingent on its location because dispensaries shouldn’t be near a church or school. Burnett thinks the American dream should be accessible to everyone, although for a marijuana facility to meet any standard, they would need to destroy the whole batch because a drug is a drug. 

 

She compares dispensaries to the lottery industry since business owners aren’t likely to claim the full cash amount they receive, preventing them from paying higher taxes, implying that the city might not get the full sales tax revenues as anticipated. 

 

“What they said about the lottery is that it would provide all this money to our schools and it hasn’t. And the way it was on the ballot to legalize marijuana in California was the taxes on it would help our state, and I don’t feel it has,” Burnett said. 

 

Planning Commissioners Lauren Cooper, David Harris and Chair Jerry Jones voted yes to the request, however, Vice Chair Jonathan Frankel and Commissioner Andrew Torpey were absent from the meeting.

 

“I think it puts more people high behind the wheel,” Burnett said.  

 

In accordance with the Subdivision Map Act, any action taken by the planning committee may be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days from the night of the meeting, July 17.