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Background Information

The City of Healdsburg recently updated the Healdsburg Municipal Code (HMC) to allow for commercial cannabis use in the community. As required by Proposition 64, the City also permits medical and nonmedical cannabis use and cultivation by individuals subject to specific requirements as outlined in Section 20.20.100 of the Healdsburg Municipal Code (HMC). 

At its November 18, 2021 Work Session, the Council discussed various issues and approaches relating to whether to allow commercial cannabis uses. At the conclusion of the Work Session, the Council directed staff to conduct a community survey and to report back with the survey’s results as well as with an approach to commercial cannabis based in part on the survey and in part on Council’s direction to move away from a prohibition and to allow and apply limits to commercial cannabis uses.

On May 2, 2022, staff returned to City Council and discussed the results of the community survey. Staff also provided City Council with a proposed approach for commercial cannabis uses and received feedback from the Council on the proposed approach. Staff received direction to continue with the development of a regulatory program for commercial cannabis uses and return with formal land use code amendments.

On September 6, staff presented to Council draft proposed land use code amendments. Council provided direction to staff at that meeting to proceed with the development of an ordinance updating the Healdsburg Municipal Code to allow for commercial cannabis uses. On November 8, staff workshopped the land use code amendments with the Planning Commission. Staff brought the final draft Land Use Code amendments, along with amendments to other chapters of the Healdsburg Municipal Code, to the Planning Commission on February 28, 2023 at which the Commission recommended the Council adopt the proposed amendments. This City Council held a first reading of the Commercial Cannabis Business Ordinance on March 20, 2023 and adopted the ordinance on April 17, 2023 with an effective date of May 17, 2023. During that same time period the Council adopted fees for the Commercial Cannabis Business Program, established the Cannabis Business Tax Rate, and approved the Dispensary Application Process, Scoring, and Criteria.

This page is meant to provide members of the public and regulated community with information on the process for establishing commercial cannabis businesses in the City. Below you will find links to previous staff reports and presentations along with a calendar of upcoming events. City staff will work to maintain this webpage as the process moves forward.

For questions or comments regarding cannabis in Healdsburg, please email cannabis@healdsburg.gov.

To join the email list and receive updates and information on cannabis, please visit healdsburg.gov/subscribe, scroll to "News Flash," and tap the email icon.