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Pacific Grove council debates whether to pause cannabis lottery amid ownership stacking concerns
Summary
City staff presented an informational memo on storefront cannabis permitting and an upcoming March 30 lottery. Applicant counsel Amara Morrison urged the council to pause or agendize formal deliberation, saying eight of roughly 10 eligible applications appear to share common ownership; a motion to pause was made but ruled improper for an informational item.
The Pacific Grove City Council heard an informational presentation March 4 about the storefront retail cannabis permitting process and an upcoming March 30 lottery, then spent extensive time debating whether the city should investigate overlapping ownership among applicants before proceeding.
Amara Morrison, an attorney with Redwood Public Law and counsel for applicant Nunn Pacific Grove LLC, told the council the city’s memo failed to explain “how the permitting process complies with state law, particularly around the question of various applicants’ ownership interests.” She urged the council to agendize the memorandum for formal deliberation or postpone the lottery so staff and the city’s consultant can explain why common ownership or parent‑company relationships were not treated as disqualifying under the city’s ordinance and the state statute.
“I respectfully request that the council agendize the memo…
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