Despite popular opinion, cannabis dispensaries face an uncertain Monterey City Council.

Monterey City Council’s move in early May to postpone a long-simmering decision on whether to allow commercial cannabis shops distanced the elected officials from the results of a citywide survey. The council is set to revisit the question on Tuesday, Aug. 17.

Roughly 58 percent of respondents in a citywide survey said they want commercial cannabis in town. However, two central questions were left lingering following City Council’s May 4 discussion about dispensaries: where and how many? Based on third-party analysis of where would offer the most value to the city, staff proposed one dispensary for each of three locations: Cannery Row, Lighthouse Avenue and downtown, with the exception of the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare, Alvarado Street.

Cannery Row business and neighborhood interests raised Cain over the possibility of seeing a dispensary along the tourism strip. City Council members also directed city staff to conduct some public engagement about placing a dispensary in the North Fremont district.

Assistant City Manager Nat Rojanasathira says city staff are not changing their recommendation when they return to City Council. He says they found through town halls that businesses and neighbors in the North Fremont district did not want a cannabis shop in the area. There was also concern from staff that a North Fremont dispensary would be too close to competing businesses in Seaside and Del Rey Oaks.

Rick Johnson, executive director of the Old Monterey Business Association, says he supports commercial cannabis coming to the city and doesn’t want to see another postponement: “It’s time to make a decision.”

Tied to the commercial cannabis effort, Rojanasathira says city staff will also seek guidance on whether to allow cannabis-related festivals to come to the Monterey Fairgrounds.