San Diego finalized its legalization of marijuana cultivation and manufacturing on Tuesday, becoming one of the few cities in the state to have a fully regulated supply chain for the drug.
Making indoor marijuana farms and manufacturing sites for edible products legal will boost the economy, create jobs and improve the quality and safety of local marijuana, City Council members said before approving the legislation in a 6-3 vote.
They also said a local supply chain will eliminate the need to truck marijuana in from elsewhere, and prevent a local “black market” of unregulated cultivators and manufacturers that would emerge if the city outlawed those activities.
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"I believe it's our obligation as the City Council to have responsible regulation of all parts of the supply chain,” said Councilwoman Barbara Bry, stressing that state voters easily approved legalizing recreational marijuana last November.
Opponents said allowing local cultivation and manufacturing will increase organized crime in San Diego and place a heavy burden on local police, emphasizing that Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman strongly opposed the legislation.
“We have to listen to our police officers and not people who want to make a profit off of this," said Councilwoman Lorie Zapf, who joined with fellow Republican Councilmembers Chris Cate and Scott Sherman as the “no” votes.
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