by Garth Meyer
The prospect of retail cannabis stores in Redondo Beach is less certain than it has been before, with rising public opposition, a new city council coming and current councilmembers showing skepticism.
Three city councilmembers have expressed hesitation, and at least three candidates in the March 4 yet-to-be-decided election said they would vote against retail cannabis.
Two of them are in favor of putting the question on a ballot for residents to decide.
Just the same, at the Feb. 20 Easy Reader/BeachLife election forum, four out of five mayoral candidates said they support storefront cannabis.
Some in the audience may have noticed an angle in Mayor Jim Light’s raised hand, though, as he has said at city council he is not a fan of cannabis, but dislikes passing off the matter to neighboring cities.
Over the past year, the council has worked to finalize a set of rules, in the form of three ordinances, to bring two shops to town.
The ordinances return to the Redondo council March 11 for another vote. It takes 30 days for a new ordinance to take effect.
The next city council, with two new members at least, will be sworn in April 1.
“It’s going to be awhile before the RFP stage [request for proposals from potential operators]. This is only the ordinance,” said Todd Loewenstein, termed-out District Two councilman.
“These three ordinances presented for adoption are the culmination of municipal code already in place,” said Elizabeth Hause, Redondo Beach community services director. “The city council spent a considerable amount of time and effort to design a permit application and management process. If adopted, the ordinances lay the groundwork for the council to release the RFP – if they choose to do so.”
On Feb. 19, the council voted to change a restriction of no cannabis stores allowed on Artesia Blvd. west of Inglewood Avenue, to no retailers west of Felton Lane.
A week before, 18 people spoke to the council in public comment, a distinct majority against allowing stores. City Clerk Eleanor Manzano counted 68 online comments that night, 61 opposed to retail cannabis.
“It’s the Wild West, it’s exciting hearing from residents who have come engaged in the last few months,” Nils Nehrenheim, District One councilman and mayoral candidate told Easy Reader. “I’d like to hear more before we move on.”
Also Feb. 12, the city council took another step toward opening stores, approving the current three ordinances on a 4-1 vote (Nehrenheim against).
Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic gave her first extended comments on the subject at the meeting.
“I wanted to highlight, there is already a (retail cannabis) ordinance, passed in September 2022,” she said. “All the work that we’re doing now is closing loopholes, dotting I’s and crossing T’s, to address all of the concerns brought up by the community… An ordinance allows us to be a lot more flexible, a lot more responsive to the community’s needs about all of these things happening with cannabis.”
Earlier this year, the city planning commission recommended a 1,000-foot buffer between the proposed cannabis shops. The city council concurred, approving a policy of one store each in zip codes 90277 and 90278.
“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback. I’m a mom of two two kids, one in middle school, I don’t want to do anything to endanger children or create any kind of quality of life issues in our city,” Kaluderovic said. “I did make a referral to regulate smoke shops that seem to be popping up everywhere.”
She noted that the smoke shops are classified as ‘retail’; then mentioned the failed Measure E (2022), which would have allowed cannabis store operators to set the rules here.
“If it had passed and (the rules) were (set) by the people, the only way we could change anything about them [where a store may be located, how many stores, what the city requires from those businesses] is to go back to the voters. Through an ordinance, like we currently have, we can be flexible and responsive to the needs of the residents at any given time,” Kaluderovic said, adding, “Delivery is already happening in the city, and with these ordinances in place, we can regulate it, monetize it and enforce it.”
This did not mean Kaluderovic is necessarily in support of retail cannabis in Redondo Beach.
“There will be a discussion in the future about, ‘Are we ready to open up the applications for cannabis stores,’” she said at the Feb. 12 council meeting. “But that’s not what we’re discussing tonight.”
Councilman Nils Nehrenheim then gave his thoughts.
“I always believe that sunlight is the best disinfectant for some of these subjects,” he said, talking about illegal dispensaries that have operated in Redondo Beach. “It is much easier to enforce when you have legal dispensaries.”
Councilman Scott Behrendt spoke.
“I personally believe retail cannabis stores in Redondo Beach are a bad idea,” he said.
Clapping came from the public seats. Mayor Light asked the crowd to react only with waving hands for “yes,” and thumbs-down for “no.”
“Storefront retail absolutely sends the wrong message of cannabis acceptance (to teenagers),” Behrendt said.
He noted that the city will make tax money, “but is it worth it?”
He called for delivery-only in the city.
“It is here in the community,” said Councilman Zein Obagi, Jr. “We need to do something differently to tackle this problem. It is very easy for [an outside operator such as Elliot Lewis of Catalyst Cannabis Co., who was instrumental in Measure E] to come back and, here we go again.”
The in-person public commenters Feb. 12 included parents and cannabis company operators.
“Just do the right thing, alright?” said a father who said he would rather be elsewhere.
A woman said she supported statewide legalization, but wants just delivery-only here, citing “young brains,” and questioned what storefronts would do to real estate values.
Tim Dodd, co-founder and CEO of Sweet Flower cannabis company, and Eric Lightman, lead counsel for Embark, both told the council that delivery-only is unprofitable.
“It’s shown to be a failed model,” Lightman said.
Another father (of two kids at RUHS) said that, though the council and city staff has spent much time on it, you’re “throwing good money after bad.”
“Good leaders listen to the people,” said a woman from District Three. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve spent eight years on this or 20 years.”
“I’m really surprised we’re having the debate of whether to do it or not,” said Joan Irvine, a mayoral candidate and longtime vocal advocate to bring in the stores.
“There’s enough businesses out there (to get tax money), why does it have to be cannabis retail?” said another woman.
Councilman Behrendt offered a “fair and reasonable solution” – no cannabis shops on Artesia Boulevard from Aviation to Inglewood Avenue. “With that I would vote yes.”
“I cannot in good faith support this,” said another woman in public comment. “I question the urgency of the discussion in Redondo Beach. We may end up allowing it down the road, but why now?”
“Our town is gonna look cheap,” said another woman.
Jonatan Cvetko, a member of the city’s original cannabis steering committee in 2018 is a longtime advocate to bring the stores to Redondo Beach, now turned against it for reasons regarding safety of products and health of the industry. He told an allegory of a man in a flood zone, who declined help and calls to evacuate from people of different faiths.
The man drowned, and in the afterlife, he is told, “Suffering comes from ignoring the truth, no matter your faith.”
Councilmember Kaluderovic spoke again before the Feb. 12 vote.
“I have heard everyone tonight and have read the 68 comments…” she said, noting people’s concerns about pesticides and testing, laid out in a recent Los Angeles Times article about the industry. “A delivery-only model will still be delivering these same products. Passing this ordinance is closing loopholes. Tonight we are just trying to beef up the ordinance, for in the future, should we open it up to applicants.”
Mayor Light weighed in.
“I’m against pot. Never tried it, I’m not a fan of it, but we have far more control this way,” he said. “I think it’s disingenuous to say, ‘Hey, just go get your pot from another city.’
Councilmember Nehrenheim voted no, and the other four voted to approve.
The matter will continue into the spring. The council sets application permit fees next, then will make a final decision whether or not to seek RFPs to open stores.
Kaluderovic’s View:
In an interview with Easy Reader, Redondo Beach Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic called for more input on retail cannabis from residents, including a potential poll commissioned by the city.
She voted to approve three ordinances Feb. 12 to move the matter ahead.
“It is our decision tonight that starts the application process. RFP [request for proposals by business owners to open the stores] is down the road…” she said that night in the meeting. “Once we get the ordinances in place, then staff has what they need (to go to RFP). I look forward to hearing from the community then. All sides of the issue.”
Kaluderovic indicated she may vote either way on whether to permit cannabis stores in Redondo Beach.
“I don’t know at this point. I think that’s the time to hear from the community and take the temperature of the community,” she said.
Councilman Scott Behrendt has said opening cannabis stores sends a message of acceptance to Redondo youth, approved by city leaders. What does Kaluderovic think?
“Twofold. As a parent, I’m very concerned about what is accessible to youth. By any means this would not be accessible to youth. You need an I.D. to even get into the store…,” she said. “Right now I’m much more worried about things existing; our smoke shops.”
She cited other public comment in the Feb. 12 council meeting, alleging lax I.D. checks at the smoke shops.
Kaluderovic pointed out that the smoke shops’ classification as “retail” means they do not require conditional use permits or other special permissions from the city.
What does she think of the overall public comment about cannabis retail stores?
“The community, especially the school community, has been very active…” she said. “When we get to that point (of a final vote), I encourage them to continue; it would be great to get a poll from the city to get a good temperature of what people are wanting.” ER
