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Economy

Councilman Chris Cate Releases Proposed Marijuana Regulations For San Diego

San Diego City Councilman Chris Cate speaks during a council meeting, Dec. 12, 2016.
Milan Kovacevic
San Diego City Councilman Chris Cate speaks during a council meeting, Dec. 12, 2016.

San Diego City Councilman Chris Cate released a long list of proposed regulations Thursday aimed at marijuana cultivators, manufacturers, testers and distributors.

The City Council is scheduled to consider rules for nonretail marijuana businesses at a meeting on Sept. 11.

"As chair of the Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee, my top priority during these deliberations is to ensure that marijuana-related businesses are well-regulated in order to guarantee that they are operating safely and in a manner that promotes public safety," Councilman Chris Cate said.

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RELATED: City Council Tackles Illegal Marijuana Dispensaries In San Diego

In a memo to Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Planning Director Jeff Murphy, Cate wrote that voter-passed Proposition 64—which legalized recreational use of the drug in California —sets baseline regulations, while the Legislature is developing other restrictions.

However, the city of San Diego needs to make clear what it expects from prospective marijuana businesses before they begin applying for permits, he said.

RELATED: San Diego City Council Unanimously Approves Recreational Marijuana Regulations

Under Cate's plan, applicants would have to submit an outreach plan that outlines how the establishment would positively contribute to the community where it is located and show how the operators would comply with state laws and regulations.

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He proposed security requirements related to surveillance cameras, lighting and visitor logs, among other things. He also suggested mandatory reporting to police of significant inventory discrepancies, and when the business or its owners are convicted of a marijuana-related felony.

Among other proposals:

–cultivation would have to take place indoors, or outdoors within a secured structure;

–plans would have to be submitted on fire prevention, disease control, prevention of contamination, and maintenance of quality of raw materials and ingredients;

–prohibiting the use of butane, propane or other flammable gas or vapor.

–banning signage that's outdoors or visible in public areas.

–applicants would have to submit a list of owners and individuals with a non-controlling interest in the business.

–owners must not have been convicted of a drug-related felony within the past five years.

Cate said he would introduce regulations for retail marijuana establishments early next year.