City leaders in El Cajon shot down an initial proposal that would have allowed up to four marijuana dispensaries in the city. The idea was brought up by Councilmembers Michelle Metschel and Gary Kendrick, who said the move would bring needed revenue to the city. “A ban does not mean cannabis is ab sent, it only means it is unregulated and untaxed,” Metschel said. “The existing ban has inadvertently created a protected market for unlicensed, untaxed and unregulated operators.” By allowing up to four dispensaries in the city, it would decrease the sale of contaminated products while generating revenue to dedicate specifically to public safety and infrastructure, she said. El Cajon remains one of the few cities in San Diego County with a strict ban on dispensaries. The proposal by Kendrick and Metschel was modeled after Santee, where four dispensaries were permitted within city boundaries by the council in 2022. La Mesa allowed the sale of recreational marijuana at dispensaries in 2020. “Instead of having people drive to neighboring cities, they can get it right here,” Kendrick said. “If people are going to buy something, they might as well buy it in El Cajon so our police and firefighters can benefit from that revenue.” Notably, while dispensaries are not allowed in El Cajon, residents can still get cannabis products delivered to their homes from storefronts in nearby cities. The proposal faced pushback from Councilmember Steve Goble, who said his constituents would likely oppose putting a dispensary in their neighborhood. Metschel and Kendrick wanted to move forward with the proposal by having staff conduct research and draft an ordinance, but Goble said he wouldn’t support it because the city’s work plan for the year was already full. “This is a huge lift, I wouldn’t even consider asking for an ordinance until we know how much (revenue) money we’re talking about,” Goble said. Mayor Bill Wells said he was against allowing dispensaries in the city because, as a clinician, he saw “dozens and dozens” of patients who had been diagnosed with marijuana-induced psychosis. “I know money is important, but we’re looking at all kinds of different things … that are possibilities of big revenue increases,” Wells said. ...read more read less