CPC Compassion Inc. in full swing after the city receives its first medical pharmacy approval
On October 20, the Planning Commission granted CPC Compassion Inc. approval to operate Santa Monica’s first medical marijuana dispensary on 925 Wilshire Blvd.
The Chief Medical Officer Dr. Paul Song said he doesn’t want to be a disruptive force in town and plans to work with the Santa Monica Police Department to ensure safety.
“We’re not trying to be a recreational hedgehog, we’re not trying to be a glitzy place, we want to be very subtle and cautious about the location, about our signage and real at the same time” an area where people aren’t intimidated feel to try to solve her illness, “said Song.
Song has been a radiation oncologist for 20 years and has lived in Santa Monica for 14 years. He specializes in the use of medical marijuana and helped develop the products that are sold in the store under the Local Cannabis Co. brand.
Although the commissioners were very impressed with the applicant’s presentation and agreed to grant conditional use permission to the company, they expressed some concerns.
The Commissioners urged applicants to adhere to the following recommendations: Open on Sundays from 12:00 to 18:00; Outside of one hour before and one hour after normal business hours, there must be no audible noise from outside the building; the same applies to cleaning outside of one hour before and one hour after normal business hours.
The commissioners also added a condition that CPC Compassion Inc. should work with staff to address and improve pedestrian awareness. In this case, the commissioners were interested in replacing the tinted windows with clearer ones.
Customers need a doctor’s recommendation to shop at the pharmacy. CPC Compassion Inc. may sell to primary caregivers over the age of 18 who can demonstrate they are legitimate caregivers.
Commissioner Shawn Landres was currently concerned that schools and daycare would be excluded from opening on Wilshire. However, while the Santa Monica zoning ordinance states that a pharmacy cannot open 150 feet from a school, daycare, or church, those stores can open 150 feet from an existing pharmacy.
Community members might see CPC Compassion Inc. opening their pharmacy in December at the earliest. Santa Monica has strict regulations about where pharmacies can be and how many they can operate.
CPC Compassion Inc. defeated 19 other applicants in an application process in 2017 to become one of two marijuana companies allowed to do business in the city. You are the only company that has rented an approved site and obtained conditional use permit.
In 2023, the existing zoning ordinance will expire and the city council could vote to allow recreational marijuana dispensaries to be opened in the city limits.
“I found that you (CPC Compassion Inc.) did a very good job addressing the issues that were raised. Essentially, they’re opening a pharmacy and the pharmacy happens to be selling cannabis products, but the pharmacy is heavily regulated, more regulated than almost any other type of business in Santa Monica, “said Mario Fonda-Bonardi.
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