Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Not if — when weed is legal

"It's really difficult to determine exactly where and how the product is grown."

Earlier this month the Public Policy Institute of California released a report outlining recommendations for the state if any of several competing measures to legalize the recreational use of marijuana passes this November.

The main takeaway from studying states such as Colorado and Washington that have been dealing with the issue for the past few years: legislation to implement legal pot should be fairly restrictive, at least at first.

"California should err on the side of more restrictive regulation," said study coauthor and Institute research director Patrick Murphy in a release. "The fundamental fact is, from a political perspective, it would be easier to loosen a tight market than tighten a loose one."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Aside from implementing age restrictions and protocols for identifying drugged drivers, the report recommends that sales be restricted to facilities specifically set up for distributing cannabis and that rigorous testing for product quality and safety be required.

At Outliers Collective, one of only two medical marijuana dispensaries in the county licensed to conduct business, staff are both supportive of and seemingly prepared for such a regulatory environment.

"With the tremendous amount of cultivation that we're gearing up for, we could certainly service the medical as well as the recreational market," said Linc Fish, the CEO of OutCo Labs, parent company for the Outliers dispensary, during a tour and interview on Monday (April 18). "I feel pretty strongly, though, that the same controls [for medical dispensaries] should be in place because, regardless of whether it's medical or recreational, it's still a controlled substance that needs monitoring, controls, and tests."

Fish said that, while laboratory testing of medical cannabis is not mandated, as a matter of good practice and satisfying discerning customers, it's common practice among reputable shops to provide lab reports.

"We use both third-party testing as well as a unit on site for product testing. We're strong believers in the notion that everything should be tested — and it needs to be tested not just for THC levels, but pesticides, microbiologics, anything that could harm people.

"It's really difficult to determine exactly where and how the product is grown. That's why dispensaries are pushing for in-house cultivation, so that we have control of the whole process."

During a walk-through of the Outliers facility, Fish pointed proudly to several grow rooms under construction that will eventually cover 12,000 square feet of warehouse space near Gillespie Field in unincorporated El Cajon. The location will be capable of producing 400 pounds of cannabis per month, in addition to another 2000 pounds already being produced off-site at a local Indian reservation (Fish declined to name).

The problem, Fish said, is that addressing the issue via a hodge-podge series of regulations that can vary from county to county or even city to city makes implementing a universal set of standards impossible.

"The reality is that there is no model in place. Every city, every county has variances — and one of the interesting things they did with the new system that's set to take effect in 2018 is that the state laws don't supersede city or county ordinance. Cities can't be less restrictive, but they can be more restrictive.

"In the county, we can cultivate and extract, But, in the city of San Diego, their ordinance is in some ways less restrictive — they can buy branded products while we cannot; they don't have member "source agreements," so they can take product in and the sheriff isn't going to go inspect their sources. They can sell edible products and we cannot, so it's more restrictive out here in the county. But then in the city, you can't cultivate or create extracts, so we actually have more freedom in that regard out here."

Given all these complexities, does Fish see a way forward?

"What I'd like to see is uniformity. I'd like to see the cities and counties look at the state regulations and say, ‘Let's do away with our own regulations and allow the state regulations into place,' because it's going to be really complicated as an industry to have operations in several different cities or counties and have to have each conduct business differently due to local rules…. The state spent a lot of time putting together a new structure, and while I don't know that I necessarily agree with everything they've done, it's on the right path."

Before any action is taken with regard to full legalization, which will likely be before voters in some form or another this fall, the city will hear a report on dispensary-busting efforts this Wednesday (April 20), while the county board of supervisors is scheduled to revisit a temporary moratorium on the opening of any new medical dispensaries that have complied with the permitting process thus far next week.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Issa aide collaborates with Ukrainians

Carlsbad's Tracy Slepcevic, Warrior Mom, and her ties to RFK, Jr.
Next Article

Time’s up for Doubletime Recording Studio

Owner Jeff Forrest is trading El Cajon for Portugal

Earlier this month the Public Policy Institute of California released a report outlining recommendations for the state if any of several competing measures to legalize the recreational use of marijuana passes this November.

The main takeaway from studying states such as Colorado and Washington that have been dealing with the issue for the past few years: legislation to implement legal pot should be fairly restrictive, at least at first.

"California should err on the side of more restrictive regulation," said study coauthor and Institute research director Patrick Murphy in a release. "The fundamental fact is, from a political perspective, it would be easier to loosen a tight market than tighten a loose one."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Aside from implementing age restrictions and protocols for identifying drugged drivers, the report recommends that sales be restricted to facilities specifically set up for distributing cannabis and that rigorous testing for product quality and safety be required.

At Outliers Collective, one of only two medical marijuana dispensaries in the county licensed to conduct business, staff are both supportive of and seemingly prepared for such a regulatory environment.

"With the tremendous amount of cultivation that we're gearing up for, we could certainly service the medical as well as the recreational market," said Linc Fish, the CEO of OutCo Labs, parent company for the Outliers dispensary, during a tour and interview on Monday (April 18). "I feel pretty strongly, though, that the same controls [for medical dispensaries] should be in place because, regardless of whether it's medical or recreational, it's still a controlled substance that needs monitoring, controls, and tests."

Fish said that, while laboratory testing of medical cannabis is not mandated, as a matter of good practice and satisfying discerning customers, it's common practice among reputable shops to provide lab reports.

"We use both third-party testing as well as a unit on site for product testing. We're strong believers in the notion that everything should be tested — and it needs to be tested not just for THC levels, but pesticides, microbiologics, anything that could harm people.

"It's really difficult to determine exactly where and how the product is grown. That's why dispensaries are pushing for in-house cultivation, so that we have control of the whole process."

During a walk-through of the Outliers facility, Fish pointed proudly to several grow rooms under construction that will eventually cover 12,000 square feet of warehouse space near Gillespie Field in unincorporated El Cajon. The location will be capable of producing 400 pounds of cannabis per month, in addition to another 2000 pounds already being produced off-site at a local Indian reservation (Fish declined to name).

The problem, Fish said, is that addressing the issue via a hodge-podge series of regulations that can vary from county to county or even city to city makes implementing a universal set of standards impossible.

"The reality is that there is no model in place. Every city, every county has variances — and one of the interesting things they did with the new system that's set to take effect in 2018 is that the state laws don't supersede city or county ordinance. Cities can't be less restrictive, but they can be more restrictive.

"In the county, we can cultivate and extract, But, in the city of San Diego, their ordinance is in some ways less restrictive — they can buy branded products while we cannot; they don't have member "source agreements," so they can take product in and the sheriff isn't going to go inspect their sources. They can sell edible products and we cannot, so it's more restrictive out here in the county. But then in the city, you can't cultivate or create extracts, so we actually have more freedom in that regard out here."

Given all these complexities, does Fish see a way forward?

"What I'd like to see is uniformity. I'd like to see the cities and counties look at the state regulations and say, ‘Let's do away with our own regulations and allow the state regulations into place,' because it's going to be really complicated as an industry to have operations in several different cities or counties and have to have each conduct business differently due to local rules…. The state spent a lot of time putting together a new structure, and while I don't know that I necessarily agree with everything they've done, it's on the right path."

Before any action is taken with regard to full legalization, which will likely be before voters in some form or another this fall, the city will hear a report on dispensary-busting efforts this Wednesday (April 20), while the county board of supervisors is scheduled to revisit a temporary moratorium on the opening of any new medical dispensaries that have complied with the permitting process thus far next week.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

SD Symphony singer tells what it’s like behind the scenes

Conductor Payare even looks like Mahler
Next Article

Aaron Bleiweiss: has guitar, has traveled

Seattle native takes Twists and Turns to assemble local all-stars
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader