Recreational Pot Dispensaries Will Be Allowed In Sacramento

The Sacramento City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to allow businesses to sell recreational marijuana in the city. People will be able to apply for permits for recreational pot dispensaries, delivery services and distribution centers.

The council voted to cap the number of brick-and-mortar dispensaries at 30, for now.

Councilman Larry Carr raised concerns about the cap. 

"If there's not a consensus for adding more, then what we end up doing is having a system where we've essentially given monopoly to 30 groups," Carr said.

But councilman Jay Schenirer said there will also be delivery-only dispensaries, which are not capped.

"The monopoly is only of people going to a brick-and-mortar, but not people getting product," Schenirer said. "People have a choice to either go to a brick-and-mortar or pick up the phone and call a delivery service."

Schenirer added that the council should revisit its 30-store cap eventually.

"Thirty was a number that we just stopped at quite a while ago," Shenirer said. "Oakland has eight. Denver has 200. I don't know what the right number is on this one, but I do think we need to let the market settle a little bit and then have that discussion."

The council also voted last night to establish a Cannabis Equity Program to support minorities who want to start a marijuana business.

California will begin issuing state business licenses Jan. 1. In order to get a state license, businesses must first get a permit from their local government.