Adelanto council gives first reading to overhaul of cannabis retailer rules

The Adelanto City Council on April 24 held a public hearing and gave first reading to an ordinance that would rewrite the city’s rules for cannabis retailers, shifting from the 2017 competitive-award process to an eligibility-based permitting system and allowing new storefront applications.

Mark, a city staff presenter, told the council the proposed code would combine storefront and non-storefront dispensary rules, require a local regulatory permit and a conditional use permit for land use, and require retailers to be operational before renewal except for narrow, documented reasons. "One significant change is removing the previously competitive process used in 2017 and making it more of an eligibility-based process," Mark said during the staff overview.

The proposed ordinance also clarifies on-site consumption lounges to include smoking, vaping, dabbing and edible consumption and aligns local language with recent state law shifts, Mark said. He noted the city would still require state licensing and land-use entitlements in addition to a local retail permit.

During public comment, Manny Serrano, owner of Jetroom Retail, praised regulated businesses but criticized an April 20 city-licensed event at Adelanto Stadium that he said functioned as an unregulated market. "It was a lawless black market event," Serrano said, calling on the city for clearer enforcement and regular inspections for cannabis-related activities on city property.

Councilmembers asked staff clarifying questions about overlay zoning and how the proposed changes interact with recent zoning amendments that expanded the cannabis overlay. After discussion the council moved and seconded the item and approved the first reading by voice vote. The motion passed with a unanimous affirmative vote.

The ordinance will return to the council for a subsequent reading and additional public input before final adoption. City staff said next steps include preparing updated code language and scheduling the second reading; enforcement and event oversight were flagged for follow-up by city management.