Pot Club Applicant Likely to Appeal County’s Denial

Rob Bueno didn’t get the green light for a marijuana collective from the San Mateo County License Board Monday, but this isn’t the last they’ll hear from him.

Bueno can appeal the decision to the Board of Supervisors, a move that License Board member Lt. Tom Gallagher said is likely to happen. 

The board’s denial for a marijuana collective at 2853 El Camino Real was based on two main criteria.

“It didn’t meet the definition of a collective,” said Sheriff’s Risk Manager Tom Merson. A collective, defined by the Attorney General, is an operation jointly owned and run by its members. They must make a meaningful contribution to the day-to-day operations, which the would-be members of the proposed Mid-Peninsula Medical Center would not. In the application, Bueno was listed as and employee.

The three board members also noted planners’ reports that cited inadequate parking.

The board is comprised of Lt. Tom Gallagher of the Sheriff’s Office, Dean Peterson, head of the county's Environmental Health Division, and Lisa Aozasa, a senior county planner.

Bueno’s application joins the last 10 applications that met the same fate.

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.

With the federal government’s recent crackdown on pot collectives, local entities have been hesitant to challenge the higher power.

Redwood City recently defaulted to the ruling and from its boundaries.