The California Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Monday that the city of San Diego did not adequately analyze the environmental impacts of its marijuana dispensary law.
The city had said the 2014 law did not require an environmental analysis but the court said the city got it wrong.
The decision could be far-reaching and force local governments to also analyze indirect environmental impacts when adopting new laws on everything from marijuana dispensaries to housing regulations.
Cities and counties across the state, including the city of San Diego, have approved housing reforms in an effort to help fix the state's housing crisis without conducting such environmental reviews.
David Garrick, who covers city hall for The San Diego Union-Tribune, wrote about the ruling and joined Midday Edition Tuesday to discuss its potential impacts.