California City Approves Cannabis Events at Parks

The Lompoc, California City Council last week voted to allow up to two cannabis-related events per year in any of the three city parks: Ken Adam, River Bend, or River, Santa Ynez Valley News reports. No smoking will be permitted at events at Ken Adam Park until the brush can be sufficiently cleared, and city staff will review each event within 90 days after it ends to better understand the impacts of the events.

The city already has an ordinance banning the smoking of any kind in its public parks; however, an exception for cannabis would be made during the events, while tobacco will remain prohibited.

The ordinance, which was approved 3-2, will be reviewed by the city council after one year. It requires event organizers to provide their own security for the events — recommended by city managers — and staff an EMT.

The move by the council follows a September announcement by the California State Fair that the 2022 iteration will include a cannabis flower competition. California Exposition & State Fair Board Director Jess Durfee said state fair officials “are pleased to celebrate” the state’s legal cannabis industry” adding that the fair “has always been a first mover, leading the State Fair circuit with innovative programming and large-scale competitions that celebrate the best the state has to offer.”

New York is the only state to generally allow public cannabis use in its legalization law, which led to its State Fair officials allowing cannabis smoking anywhere on the fairgrounds tobacco smoking was allowed, but with bans on smoking cannabis at select parts of the grounds, including picnic areas, inside buildings, and in kiddie land. However, following complaints, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) called for a review of that policy for the 2022 event.