The Pasadena City Council will consider on Monday, May 24, whether to extend the deadline for cannabis businesses to obtain a permit to operate in the city.
The deadline, originally set for June 5, is significant for retailers who want to operate in a particular part of the city but haven’t been able to under restrictive city zoning limits. The City Council could, however, loosen those rules.
Because the City Council has delayed hearings on the zoning changes, the council now is in a position to possibly extend the deadline by another seven months. Officials also noted the extension was necessary because of the impacts of COVID-19, which have made it difficult for city staffers to conduct business.
As it stands, only two of the original top six applicants selected in 2019 are actually up and running. The rollout has been fraught with litigation, charges of unfairness and other complications.
Integral Associates Dena, LLC (operating as Essence), is up and running at 908 E. Colorado Blvd. Varda is open at 3355 E. Colorado Blvd.
Harvest of Pasadena, LLC, which received a conditional-use permit in 2019, and won its business permit in February 2021, has yet to open its leased retail space — at a high-profile corner at W. 169 Colorado Blvd.
Among the remaining top applicants, SweetFlower Pasadena, LLC, and the Atrium Group, LLC, want to move into respective city locations in the same council district where Harvest aims to operate, but can’t because of the restrictions of the code.
The City Council meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. Monday. You can watch it streamed live at http://pasadena.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=9.