This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

Potential First Peninsula Marijuana Dispensary Withdraws Application

Applicant Brad Ehikian said he wouldn't move forward without support from government.

The applicant for a medical marijuana dispensary located outside of Redwood City withdrew his application today, citing lack of support from San Mateo County law enforcement and government.

Brad Ehikian of the Sans Souci Medical Collective made the surprising announcement just before the Board of Supervisors was scheduled to hear appeals from Sheriff Greg Munks and residents to deny the dispensary's business license.

"If you don't have the support of county government and law enforcement that is supposed to be protecting you…it's a risky endeavor," Ehikian said after the supervisors meeting.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

County staff found in a legal opinion that the collective doesn't meet state law criteria for a medical marijuana collective, which calls for members to work together on some aspect of cultivation and distributing the product.

"Contrary to the applicant's representations, most of the individuals who will be receiving marijuana will not be participating in the cultivation process in any meaningful way," the legal finding said.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Ehikian said there is not a clear definition of what a collective is under state law. He also took issue with the county's ordinance, which contrary to state law, prohibits exchange of money for marijuana sales.

"That item is in direct conflict with state law," he said.

Ehikian, a Menlo Park resident, said he got involved with medical cannabis after his grandmother struggled with pancreatic cancer. He had been working for about 17 months to receive the county's blessing for a holistic dispensary at the intersection of Bay Road and Hurlingame Avenue in unincorporated Redwood City.

On Oct. 18 the License Board granted Ehikian's application, finding it consistent with the county's restrictive ordinance regulating medical marijuana dispensaries.

The dispensary would have been the first official medical pot collective in the county.

County planning staff said that the dispensary's location would not negatively affect nearby businesses and that none of the three parcels were within 1,000 feet of a school or youth facility.

Sheriff Munks opposed the dispensary on grounds that it wouldn't function as a collective but rather a large-scale growing operation with heavy traffic. The Sheriff's Office estimated that if each member receives two ounces of marijuana a day, there could be 62.5 pounds of pot sold a day at the facility.

Joined by the county District Attorney in opposition, the Sheriff's Office said that the collective would need 21,000 plants during the three-month growing cycle to meet demand.

Redwood City resident Michael Morris also appealed the License Board's decision, arguing that it would be within 1,000 feet of a family services facility and a county shelter.

The county received 39 other appeals from residents that signed an identical letter that said the dispensary would create more traffic and crime in a location close to schools and parks.

According to the county's legal finding, Ehikian didn't articulate how the operation would generate the money to purchase the property and build a 3,250 square foot facility besides selling marijuana.

Ehikian said he envisioned his business as the "gold standard" for medical dispensaries in the county. Now he said he is giving up on the project.

"Without the will and backing of county government and the Sheriff's Office we believe further time and effort in this investment is futile," Ehikian said.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?