Petaluma City Council to discuss cannabis regulations at its next meeting

More than six years after the city approved cannabis delivery, testing and manufacturing within its boundaries, the Petaluma City Council is set to revisit the topic and consider expanding retail cannabis at its next scheduled meeting on Monday, March 11.

Currently, the city allows two delivery-only retailers – Farmhouse Artisan Market is the only one permitted in city limits – and has no limits on the number of businesses that manufacture, process and test cannabis. Those companies may only operate within business parks and industrial zones, although delivery may be to anywhere in Petaluma.

The city is looking to possibly expand its cannabis program to include on-site retail sales, but that’s contingent on City Council’s direction Monday night, according to a city staff report.

The council will have two options to consider. First is the “limited option” where council enacts minimal changes to allow retail under a limited number of permits in zones where retail delivery is allowed. There would be fewer regulatory changes, fewer potential impacts and faster implementation, according to the report.

The second possible route is the “comprehensive option,” which would require outreach, at least two workshops with City Council and the Planning Commission and an economic analysis.

Regardless of what council members decide, they’ll need to consider policy choices related to the number of permits for cannabis retail businesses the city will allow; where retail cannabis sales should be permissible; and whether cannabis retailers should get a conditional use permit via the Planning Commission or get permits based on applicable zoning laws, according to the report.

The next City Council meeting is Monday, March 11, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 11 English St., Petaluma.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Sawhney at 707-521-5346 or jennifer.sawhney@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @sawhney_media.