Auburn Council directs staff to hold public outreach on retail cannabis; staff recommends one storefront and one delivery license

The Auburn City Council on Tuesday directed staff to undertake public outreach and return with draft ordinance language to consider allowing retail and delivery cannabis operations in the city.

Jonathan Wright, the city’s economic development director, told the council that staff’s current recommendation is to permit retail storefronts and delivery rather than cultivation, manufacturing or events. Wright said staff favors a limited, competitive selection process using requests for proposals and development or revenue agreements so the city can set security, odor-control and community contribution conditions.

The direction follows a 70-minute presentation and discussion in which Wright reviewed state licensing types, local land constraints and regulatory tools. “At this point, staff is only recommending really that we look at the retail license side, which would allow for a retail storefront and delivery,” Wright said. He noted that cultivation and large-scale manufacturing are unlikely in Auburn because the city has little industrial land and that some cannabis activity is already being delivered into the city from neighboring operators.

Wright summarized draft policy elements the city could require: a buffer from…