There will soon be two legal, delivery-only, medicinal marijuana retail operations in unincorporated Marin County.
Express2You at 76 San Pablo Ave. near the Marin County Civic Center and Buttercup & Spring at 7 Mt. Lassen Drive in Lucas Valley-Marinwood both received licenses.
The county's medicinal cannabis delivery-only retailer ordinance was adopted in November 2017. It established regulations for four licenses, which require retailers to be closed to the public and dispense medicinal marijuana exclusively by delivery.
The businesses must not be closer than 600 feet to a school, daycare center, youth center or playground. The dispensary site must be in an area zoned for commercial, office or industrial use and signage outside the business must be strictly limited.
Both businesses must pay $7,000 for an operating license before opening. The fee covers the cost of inspections and for checks to be sure the businesses are complying with state and county regulations.
The county received 15 license applications in the summer of 2018. Six advanced to the next phase and four businesses were selected by lottery in January.
Three of the four applicants were on the same site at 7 Mt. Lassen Drive in Lucas Valley-Marinwood, and the Community Development Agency determined that would cause complications and increase security concerns. A second lottery was held to select one of the three applicants, and on July 24 Buttercup & Spring won.
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The two applicants that were not selected in the lottery can submit new site review applications for different locations within six months. Their proposals must comply with the procedures in the delivery-only retailer ordinance.
Marin County will not assess a tax for medicinal cannabis retailers now, but retailers are required to collect state sales tax and excise taxes for medicinal marijuana sales in unincorporated Marin County.
All other medicinal cannabis commercial activities in unincorporated Marin County are prohibited, but the county's cities and towns can create their own regulations.
The delivery-only retailer ordinance complies with state legislation that allows residents to obtain and use cannabis for medical purposes with a recommendation from a physician.
