Redwood City Marijuana Collective Could Become First in County

A medical marijuana collective could find a home in Redwood City as early as September if San Mateo County approves an application submitted Monday. County officials will meet with Rob Bueno on Monday to discuss his application for the 2853 El Camino location.

Over the past few years, the county has received a few applications, but none has materialized in Redwood City. Sheriff’s Risk Manager Tom Merson said that while some applicants have thoroughly done their research when applying, some applicants have given the county’s laws little thought.

“While some have extensively researched the location, some people just want to make a lot of money,” Merson said.

After the meeting Monday, the Sheriff’s department and the county planning and building division will review the application to ultimately make a recommendation to the county’s counsel, David Silberman. Silberman will then make the case to the three-member county licensing board, which meets monthly. Bryan Cassandro of the sheriff’s department said a September presentation would most likely be scheduled.

Cassandro said he would analyze the application for its definition as a true collective and if it conformed with county law. Angela Chavez from the building and planning division would determine if the collective met zoning and distance requirements of 1,000 feet from schools and youth facilities.

The location is in fact more than a mile from , the closest school to the site. The proposed location is also just two blocks from a at 2980 El Camino Real.

In November 2010, Menlo Park resident Brad Ehikian for a medical marijuana collective at Bay Road and Hurlingame Avenue. Though the licensing board granted Ehikian's application, he said that the lack of government and law enforcement support left him feeling less confident about the collective.

Another applicant submitted an application back in August 2010 for a collective at 2771 El Camino Real, a couple of blocks from the currently submitted application. However, the applicant could not afford the rent and rescinded his application, according to Cassandro.

Another application was filed in August 2010 for a Belmont collective, Medithrive, but was rejected. There is another facility that currently exists in San Francisco.

More recently, the White House reported that medical marijuana use is the highest it has been in eight years, according to its 2011 National Drug Control Strategy. The Office of National Drug Control Policy argued that the drug is addictive and unsafe, especially for teens, reported NPR. The Drug Enforcement Administration even said that marijuana has no medical use.