Main Menu Close Menu

mail Contact

Search Close

Translate

Department

Community Development

Department

Community Response

Department

Convention and Cultural Services

Department

Finance

Department

Fire Department

Department

Human Resources

Department

Information Technology

Department

Mayor and Council

Department

Office of Public Safety Accountability

Department

Office of the City Attorney

Department

Office of the City Auditor

Department

Office of the City Clerk

Department

Office of the City Manager

Department

Office of the City Treasurer

Department

Police Department

Department

Public Works

Department

Utilities

Department

Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment

Category

hiking Activities

Arts & Culture

Camps

Classes & Group Activities

Community Centers

Events & Entertainment

Sports

Swimming

Category

pets Animals & Pets

Animals & Pets

Category

domain_add Building & Planning

Construction

Inspections

Planning

Property Lines & Surveying

Zoning

Category

store Business

Business

Cannabis

Economic Development

Innovation

Suppliers & Vendors

Category

account_tree City Administration

Accountability & Oversight

Boards & Commissions

City Attorney

City Manager

City Structure & Policies

Customer Service

Elections

Mayor & City Council

Transparency

Category

category City Assets & Data

City Buildings & Property

City Vehicles

Records

Transparency

Category

explore City Regions

Council Districts

Neighborhoods

Property Lines & Surveying

Zoning

Category

diversity_4 Community Support

Accessibility

Community Centers

Community Engagement

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Homelessness

Housing

Older Adults

Volunteering

Youth

Category

theater_comedy Culture & History

Arts & Culture

Events & Entertainment

Sacramento History

Category

business_center Employment

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Employees & Retirees

Employment

Volunteering

Workforce Development

Category

directions Infrastructure

Bridges

Drinking Water

Information Technology

Infrastructure Finance

Stormwater & Flooding

Streets & Roads

Trails

Wastewater & Sewer

Category

gavel Law, Code & Compliance

Code Enforcement

Inspections

Law & Code

Permits

Category

payments Money

Accounting

City Budget

Claims, Rebates & Discounts

Debt Management

Economic Development

Grants

Infrastructure Finance

Investment & Cash Management

Payments & Fees

Taxes

Category

park Outdoors & Sustainability

Bicycles

Boating

Camps

Climate & Sustainability

Parks

Scooters

Sports

Swimming

Trails

Trees

Weather

Category

local_police Safety

Alternative Response

Crime

Emergency Management

Emergency Response

Fire

Inspections

Police Department

Prevention & Personal Safety

Stormwater & Flooding

Weather

Category

directions_car Transportation

Bicycles

Boating

Driving

Electric Vehicles

Parking

Public Transportation

Scooters

Traffic

Walking

Category

delete_sweep Utility Services

Drinking Water

Recycling

Trash

Wastewater & Sewer

Back to categories Back to Departments

Search for content

SITE NAVIGATION

Major Planning Projects

Title 17 Cannabis Amendments Project

Title 17 Amendment Resources Page

Major Planning Projects

Title 17 Cannabis Amendments Project

The Community Development Department is preparing proposed amendments to Title 17 (Planning & Development Code) of the City Code for all cannabis business types (i.e., storefront dispensaries, delivery-only dispensaries, cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, testing). This website provides information about the project to help you both understand and participate in the preparation and adoption of code amendments.

Policy direction & preliminary recommendations

On May 31, 2022, the City Council provided staff seven points of policy direction on the topic of land use/zoning. Each point of policy direction and both staff’s analysis and preliminary recommendations are below.

1. Regulatory Process

Recommendation: Amend the permitting process from a Conditional Use Permit to an Administrative Permit for all cannabis land uses. Read the staff analysis here.

2. Dispensaries

Recommendation: Add RMX, C-1, and C-3 to the current zones that allow storefront dispensaries. No additional zones are recommended for delivery-only dispensaries. Read the staff analysis here.

3. Non-volatile Manufacturing

Recommendation: No additional zones are recommended for non-volatile manufacturing. Read the staff analysis here.

4. Sensitive Use Buffers

Recommendation: Amend sensitive uses to include K-12 schools, neighborhood, community and regional parks, community centers, libraries, and substance abuse rehabilitation centers. Maintain the 600-foot buffer requirement from sensitive uses but remove the ability to locate within the 600-foot buffer with Planning and Design Commission approval. Read the staff analysis here.

5. Mixed Light Facilities

Recommendation: No Title 17 amendments are recommended. This means that mixed light facilities may be allowed subject to Site Plan and Design Review approval. Read the staff analysis here.

6. Research and Development

Recommendation: Amend the “Cannabis testing” definition to include cannabis research and development as an allowed use. Read the staff analysis here.

7. Distribution

Recommendation: Remove cannabis distribution from the district based square footage cap. Read the staff analysis here.

Background

In 2021, the City Council commissioned a study of its cannabis regulatory program and the cannabis industry in Sacramento to track the evolution of industry trends and practices, evaluate the City’s existing regulatory framework, and help guide future policy development in regulating cannabis. This study, titled Sacramento Comprehensive Cannabis Study (“Study”) was prepared by Economic Planning & Systems on March 8, 2022. The Study evaluates the City’s cannabis policies relating to land use, fiscal/taxation issues, and economic effects, and included analysis of other jurisdictions and published cannabis studies.

Following the completion of the Study, a series of workshops were held at the Law & Legislation Committee to gather input on three major topics – ownership, land use/zoning, and fiscal/economics. The workshops led to a bundle of recommendations to the City Council, which was presented on May 31, 2022. See Past Meetings section below for links to the City Council and Law & Legislation Committee meetings, agendas, and staff reports.

Why are we here?

During the May 31, 2022, City Council meeting, the Council considered the Comprehensive Cannabis Study and input gathered during the L&L workshops. Council directed staff to evaluate seven policy points or topics relating cannabis zoning regulations within Title 17 (Planning & Development Code) of the Sacramento City Code. The policy direction provided by Council is the starting point for analysis and evaluation of the Title 17 Cannabis Amendments project and is informed by the conclusions of the Study. The seven points of policy direction and staff’s preliminary recommendations are located in the Policy Direction & Preliminary Recommendations section below.

Comprehensive Cannabis Study & Project Considerations

The analysis for Title 17 amendments is informed by the Study’s primary conclusions relating to cannabis land uses and zoning:

Cannabis businesses have not had a negative impact on other nearby retail or industrial uses. (Primary Conclusion #4, page 8)
Cannabis businesses have not created increases in crime beyond the levels generated by other businesses. (Primary Conclusion #6, page 9)
Cannabis businesses have not had a negative impact on nearby home values. (Primary Conclusion #5, page 9)
The cannabis industry does not appear to produce negative economic effects on commercial and residential districts. (Primary Conclusion #13, page 11)
Storefront dispensaries integrate well into a variety of commercial environments and are typically “good neighbors”. (Retail analysis page 76; Table 5. Overview of Cannabis Industry Function Groups (IFGs) page 24)
Potential for City to see reduction in cultivation uses due to higher land availability in the central and coastal regions of the state, and cheaper operating costs with jurisdictions that allow outdoor cultivation. (Primary Conclusion #12 findings, page 10)
Market will “shake-out” over time and it may not be necessary to limit cannabis cultivation and production uses (i.e., floor area restrictions). (Primary Conclusion #14 findings, page 11)

Upcoming activities & next steps

The Community Engagement phase includes the following upcoming activities:

Planning and Design Commission
Date: TBD
Law and Legislation Committee
Date: TBD
City Council
Date: TBD

It is recommended to sign-up for the project’s email notification list provided below to receive project updates and notice of upcoming meetings.

Project Timeline

Phase 1: Analysis & Evaluation are complete. Phase 2: Community Engagement will continue through September. When Phase 3 begins in September staff will prepare a draft ordinance for public review which will lead to public hearings for Phase 4 in November 2024.

open_in_full

As shown above, following Community Engagement, staff will prepare a draft ordinance for public review beginning in November 2024.

Past Meetings

September 19, 2024 Virtual Webinar #2 10:30am

September 12, 2024 Planning and Design Committee workshop

September 5, 2024 Virtual Webinar #1 6:00pm

August 25, 2022 Planning and Design Committee meeting

August 20, 2024 Law and Legislation workshop

July 25, 2024 General Cannabis Careholder meeting

May 31, 2024 Law and Legislation workshop (Policy Recommendations)

May 21, 2024 Law and Legislation meeting (cannabis projects update)

May 10, 2022 Law and Legislation workshop (Policy Recommendations)

March 15, 2022 Law and Legislation workshop (Overview of the Study; Ownership issues)

April 19, 2022 Law and Legislation workshop (Fiscal/Economic/Taxation Issues)

April 5, 2022 Law and Legislation workshop (Land Use Issues)

Staff contact information

Questions or comments should be directed to:

Kirk Skierski, Senior Planner
KTSkierski@cityofsacramento.org
916-808-7933

Join the project email list

Title 17 Amendment Resources Page

ON THIS PAGE

Search for content

Title 17 Cannabis Amendments Project

Policy direction & preliminary recommendations

1. Regulatory Process

2. Dispensaries

3. Non-volatile Manufacturing

4. Sensitive Use Buffers

5. Mixed Light Facilities

6. Research and Development

7. Distribution

Background

Why are we here?

Comprehensive Cannabis Study & Project Considerations

Upcoming activities & next steps

Project Timeline

Past Meetings

Staff contact information

Project notifications

More