Clearlake council adopts cannabis equity program, removes conviction preference from scoring

Clearlake — The Clearlake City Council voted unanimously to adopt a cannabis equity manual and pursue state grant funding, approving Resolution No. 2022-74 with amendments that strip conviction history from scoring priorities and adjust residency and abatement eligibility.

City staff presented the draft program and said it follows an assessment by Humboldt State University and a state funding opportunity that aims to address harms from past cannabis criminalization. City staff noted the application window for a second-round grant closes Dec. 15; the city may apply but is not required to accept funds.

The council’s discussion centered on whether applicants who had been arrested or convicted for cannabis-related offenses should receive priority. In public comment, Dave Hughes said: “Laws are laws, and if you break the law, you have to pay the consequences,” questioning whether the city should prioritize applicants with past convictions. Chris Jennings and others described local historical enforcement patterns and said Lake County’s high eradication rates support an equity claim. Erin McCarrick, speaking remotely, said the city can use the program to provide fee waivers and legal or accounting help to eligible entrepreneurs and noted the Dec. 15 application deadline.

After extended discussion about state scoring and local priorities, council members agreed to remove language that awarded points for conviction history while leaving language that allows the city to consider arrests or other demonstrated local impacts in eligibility assessments. They also agreed to eliminate family‑conviction priority and to adjust the residency time windows so eligibility better reflects local residents and operators. Staff advised the council that removing some items could change the city’s score but would likely not make the application ineligible.

Councilmember David Claffey moved to approve Resolution No. 2022-74 with the amendments discussed; Councilmember Kramer seconded. The motion passed on a voice roll call with all members voting "Aye." The council directed staff to prepare the amended application for submission to the state. The council did not set a specific dollar amount to request but staff said they would likely avoid applying for more than $500,000 to limit additional reporting burdens.

The decision lets city staff file an application that prioritizes residency, ownership and other local indicators over conviction history while preserving flexibility to respond to the state’s scoring framework. The city will notify the public of any application the city submits and return to council if changes are needed.