Burned once, the Pacific Grove City Council takes a cautious step toward cannabis outreach.

The Pacific Grove City Council is proceeding carefully toward asking voters if they're ready for a cannabis dispensary in the small town after facing strong opposition last year. On Wednesday, June 16, the council voted 7-0 to create the Cannabis Outreach Subcommittee to work with City Manager Ben Harvey in gauging the public's interest.

The move comes nearly seven months after councilmembers reversed an earlier vote by a previous council in favor of allowing one cannabis dispensary in town. A group of residents strongly opposed to any cannabis dispensaries mounted a referendum campaign to overturn the vote and nearly succeeded, falling short of just three signatures from registered voters. It led the new council to scrap the plan and let voters decide either by special election or in the coming November 2022 general election.

On June 16, Harvey asked the council for direction in proceeding with a similar version to the outreach program conducted by the city of Monterey in its efforts to gauge residents' interest in adding dispensaries.

Harvey proposed two town hall meetings, one in the morning and one in the evening, plus a survey conducted both online and with postcards, as Monterey officials did. He suggested beginning the outreach in late summer or early fall. Harvey also recommended a page on the city's website dedicated to the cannabis issue.

Councilmembers told Harvey they wanted more detailed opinions from residents on a possible future cannabis ordinance. They also wanted a timeline toward possible inclusion of a ballot measure in November 2022.

Mayor Bill Peake proposed forming the subcommittee and after some joking among councilmembers about what to name it and when to end its work—Councilmember Chaps Poduri suggested "In High Places," ending 4-20-22—the council agreed on the more formal "Cannabis Outreach Subcommittee," with a term of six months ending Dec. 16. Poduri and councilmembers Luke Coletti and Joe Amelio volunteered to serve as the members.

Unlike past council meetings when residents strongly opposed to cannabis flooded the public comment portion of the meeting, this time only one person, cannabis entrepreneur Nico Enea, spoke in favor of the outreach process. One man called in to say he wants a dispensary because "I buy a lot of pot in town," meaning illegally. A legal store would mean no more dealing with what he called "shady people."

As for Monterey, city officials decided to take a break in the decision-making process after at least two members of council—Mayor Clyde Roberson and Councilmember Ed Smith—expressed doubts about proceeding in a meeting on May 4, despite a city survey showing support among nearly 58 percent of residents who said they either somewhat or strongly support retail cannabis. The issue is expected to come back to the Monterey council later this year.