Redondo Beach narrows cannabis rules, sets 4.5% tax and new transfer, interview and ownership standards

Redondo Beach City Council members on Tuesday moved forward with a set of revisions to the city’s draft cannabis regulatory ordinances, directing staff to prepare the ordinances for first reading with specific policy choices including a 4.5% retail tax rate and new standards for ownership transfers.

The council’s direction follows years of work that began in 2018 and an ordinance adoption process that produced several related municipal code changes (ordinance Nos. 3241-22, 3235-22 and 3240-22). Councilmembers and staff also resolved outstanding technical issues in the scoring matrix and updated the buffer map to add a newly identified preschool and coastal commercial zone information.

Council members said they sought a balance between making legal retail options available to reduce the black market and protecting youth and neighborhood character. The council’s actions set the framework that staff will incorporate into the final ordinance language and scoring materials for a planned first reading in January.

Most of the council’s discussion focused on where retail stores should be allowed, how to limit speculative value of a permit, and how to measure whether a new owner qualifies if an existing operator seeks to transfer a permit. Community concerns about proximity to schools and to Artesia Boulevard repeatedly surfaced in testimony and council remarks.

“Opening storefront cannabis shops in Redondo Beach potentially sends the wrong message of cannabis acceptance to our youth,” Councilmember Barron said during discussion about location choices; other councilmembers said the city should also consider the practical effects of pushing legal business into…