Backcountry residents urge board to pause marijuana expansion, cite public safety, water and enforcement gaps
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Summary
Multiple callers from unincorporated backcountry communities urged the board to slow or reject proposed marijuana cultivation and retail expansion, citing fire risk, water stress, lack of sheriff input, enforcement capacity and potential youth exposure to high‑potency products.
Several callers during non‑agenda public comment and consent‑item testimony urged the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to pause or reconsider proposed marijuana cultivation and retail policy changes until agency capacity, public safety and environmental impacts are better documented.
Speakers representing community planning groups said their written reports and PEIR comments had not been fully considered, and several urged the board to wait for a sheriff's office public‑safety statement before advancing changes. "Our planning groups are the boots on the ground," one caller said, urging the board to respect local analysis of fire risk, water limitations and access challenges in rural areas.
Public health and school‑affiliated callers warned about youth exposure and rising potency in cannabis products, citing reviews and studies linking high‑THC products to increased risks of psychosis, dependence and other harms. Callers urged restrictions on retail density in unincorporated communities and stronger enforcement against illegal activity.
Board members did not take immediate policy action on marijuana regulation at the Nov. 5 meeting; the testimony was recorded for the public record and several speakers asked staff and commissioners to engage planning groups and law enforcement in further review.