REDONDO BEACH, Calif. — A collection of cannabis proponents will submit more than 6,600 signatures to the Redondo Beach City Clerk next week in support of a proposed ballot measure codifying commercial cannabis throughout the city.

Should the signatures pass muster, they’ll be more than enough to qualify the measure for a future election.


What You Need To Know

  • Proponents of a proposed cannabis measure in Redondo Beach believe they have enough voter signatures to qualify for a future election

  • The measure's proponents include CEOs of Southern California dispensaries and cannabis cultivation companies

  • The proposed measure would ensure that the city must have exactly three cannabis retailers; an upcoming city-created draft would ensure a maximum of two

  • Similar measures, from the same proponents, are circulating in cities throughout LA's South Bay

The proposed measure would overrule Redondo’s existing ban on commercial cannabis, which officials put in place so a city task force could create recommendations. The measure, among other things, would allow for three retail cannabis shops within the city — no more, no less.

After more than two years of work, the task force presented its recommendations to the city in October. The city’s draft ordinance would allow for a maximum of two stores within the city.

Proponents of the measure, known as the Economic Development Reform Coalition of Southern California — Redondo Beach, include the CEOs of two major Southern California cannabis companies: Catalyst Cannabis, which has nine retail dispensaries in Los Angeles County and Orange County; and Dub Brothers Management, which cultivates, processes and distributes cannabis for retail, and oversees a handful of cannabis brands.

“The beauty is, if we get the signatures and get it on the ballot, we’ll let the majority of the residents decide if they want retail cannabis in their cities,” said Elliot Lewis, CEO of Catalyst Cannabis.

Though it is legally possible for the city to adopt a measure outright, provided its signatures qualify, it’s unlikely in this case. According to Barry Walker, CEO of Dub Brothers, initial discussions with Redondo Beach City Council members weren’t receptive to Walker and his partners.

“If there’s anything I could say, it’s that we come in peace,” Walker told Spectrum News. “We’re going to get this done; the people of Redondo wan this, and I don’t think anyone can argue other than that.”

When reached for comment, Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand said that any group with enough money can gather enough signatures to qualify a measure for the ballot.

“Where the rubber will meet the road is when we actually have an election. And as we’ve seen, the last special interest to get an initiative spent $1 million on the campaign, and lost to $17,000 in opposition,” Brand said, referring to a bitter campaign waged between a company seeking to redevelop the city’s aging waterfront, and victorious “slow-growth” activists who eventually stopped the project. “I think the residents are smart enough.” 

 

The measure itself is sponsored by Samuel Nicosa, a 20-year-old college student and recent graduate from Mira Costa High School in nearby Manhattan Beach. Nicosa was a Catalyst customer who Lewis said he called one day after spotting his name and residence on a customer sheet.

Redondo is among the first South Bay dominoes to fall in the process; the proponents are pushing for similar measures in the neighboring communities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and El Segundo.

Lewis acknowledged that if the initiative passes, his company will seek to win a retail license in the city.

“There’s no guarantee we’re going to get it,” Lewis said. “But if we don’t get it, we’re pleased to make cannabis history, city by city. It won’t just be the South Bay.”