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DeKalb council agrees to pursue UDO text amendment to allow tasting rooms at licensed dispensaries
Summary
Council members signaled unanimous consent to pursue an amendment to Chapter 23 of the Unified Development Ordinance to permit tasting rooms (on-site ingestible consumption spaces) at locally licensed cannabis dispensaries; staff will return with ordinance language and text-amendment process steps.
The DeKalb City Council on May 27 directed staff to pursue a text amendment to Chapter 23 of the Unified Development Ordinance to permit tasting rooms — indoor spaces for sampling ingestible cannabis products — at locally licensed cannabis dispensaries, and asked staff to return with ordinance language and the required text-amendment process.
A representative from ExaLeaf, the local dispensary operator, described a tasting and education space already built at its DeKalb location and said the goals are customer education, safer consumption and improved customer experience. "This is not just about consumption. It's about education, public safety, and community engagement," the representative said.
City Manager Bill Nicholas explained the change sought is to the UDO, which currently prohibits consumption on dispensary property. He clarified that the tasting-room proposal would not permit smoked or inhaled products in the room because the facility lacks HVAC designed to remove smoke; the tasting rooms would accommodate ingestible and noninhaled products only.
Council and staff discussed alternative code locations for such a change; City Attorney Rose said the UDO must be amended because the UDO currently prohibits on-site consumption but section 52 (morals and conduct) would not need amendment if the UDO were changed. The mayor and council members indicated they preferred to move forward, with the city manager to present either an ordinance or consideration and to run the required text-amendment process. The manager noted that bringing the matter as an ordinance can allow the council to waive a second reading later if appropriate.
Representatives from ExaLeaf said sampling would help customers choose products and keep tax dollars local by reducing cross-border shopping. The council signaled unanimous consent to bring back the ordinance or text amendment for formal consideration and public notice; no code change was adopted on May 27.
