As a mom, I spend most of my days trying to get my son to follow the rules. Why? Well, because I’m trying to raise a good citizen and future neighbor. This monumental effort is required to ensure that our communities function well, where we’re all committed to a common code—a way to ensure that we all survive and thrive in what’s become a very complicated world. That’s why I’m so upset about what’s happening at the former Taco Bell on Soquel Drive here in Aptos. The Taco Bell location is slated to be the new home to a cannabis dispensary. While I don’t object to cannabis dispensaries; I don’t like that we, the community, don’t get a say in where it goes.

Cannabis dispensaries aren’t supposed to be near neighborhoods. In fact, the County designated buffer zones to keep them at least 300 feet from residential zones and other sensitive areas, like schools and places of worship. So, then, how is it that this building, located next door to a densely populated residential area, potentially turning into a cannabis dispensary? Well, it turns out that the County Cannabis Licensing Officer has the power to waive the code related to buffer zones at their discretion and without public notice or input, which has allowed a dispensary to potentially move into the former Taco Bell location.

I don’t mind a cannabis dispensary, but I do mind that I wasn’t given notice that a County code was overridden. I do mind that this isn’t fair or transparent. That it’s not very neighborly. This is not the behavior I’m trying to teach my son. Please stand with me and other community members, by asking the County Board of Supervisors to reinstate public comment on proposed dispensary locations that deviate from code.