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Council agrees to study request to align cannabis lounge hours with state law
Summary
Vice Mayor Busch asked the council to consider amending the local cannabis ordinance to align opening/closing times with state rules after the forthcoming opening of a consumption lounge; the council voted to agendize the matter for discussion, and public commenters voiced both safety concerns and economic arguments.
Vice Mayor Marcus Busch asked the City Council to place a Policy 105 item on a future agenda to consider changing National City’s cannabis ordinance to let retail and consumption establishments operate hours consistent with state law.
The request was prompted by a new consumption lounge, Sessions by the Bay, which plans to open soon and has asked to match state hours. Supporters, including a representative for Sessions by the Bay, told council that restrictive local hours push customers to other cities or unregulated markets and reduce tax revenue. Opponents — including public‑safety and health advocates — warned about impaired driving, secondhand smoke exposure and unproven industry safety practices and said it is premature to expand hours before seeing operational impacts.
Council members debated whether to let the business open under the existing development agreement and then revisit hours or to agendize a change now; several members favored agendizing the request with a legal review to avoid unintended consequences and to assess ongoing litigation and oversight needs. The motion to bring the issue back for formal consideration passed.
What’s next: Staff will prepare a report with legal analysis (including existing development‑agreement implications), public‑safety considerations, enforcement protocols and potential fiscal effects for council review at a future meeting.
