Costa Mesa panel to consider proposed medical marijuana distribution business

For the second time in as many meetings, Costa Mesa planning commissioners are set to consider plans to open a medical marijuana business in the city.

The proposed operation up for review Monday — called CMX Distribution — would occupy 4,722 square feet of existing industrial warehouse space at 3505 Cadillac Ave. The site is in a business complex just east of the Santa Ana River.

As its name suggests, CMX would be a distribution facility for medical cannabis products. It would include offices, an order preparation area, parking for delivery trucks and secured storage space.

Proposed hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, with the ability to ramp up to 24-hour operation if demand warrants, according to the city.

The facility would be outfitted with security cameras, lighting, alarms and other features, and employees would be required to wear identification badges at all times.

All cannabis would be stored in a secured room open only to authorized personnel.

Per city rules, no one younger than 21 would be allowed at the business, and cannabis could not be consumed on the premises at any time.

CMX would be about a third of a mile down Cadillac Avenue from where another firm, Shepard Investments Inc., is looking to open a medical marijuana extraction facility that would use rosin press machines to squeeze oil from marijuana plants.

Planning commissioners voted unanimously last month to grant a conditional use permit for that operation. On Monday, they will decide whether to do the same for CMX.

Under the local voter-approved Measure X, businesses that research, test, process and manufacture some medical marijuana products are allowed to open in the area north of South Coast Drive, west of Harbor Boulevard, south of MacArthur Boulevard and east of the Santa Ana River, though not in South Coast Collection.

Clustering such businesses in a specific area allows operators “to improve security on their own property and work together as a group to increase the security in the Measure X zone,” according to CMX’s permit application.

Costa Mesa still bans retail sales of marijuana and marijuana products.

If the commission grants CMX a conditional use permit, the business still would have to obtain final fire prevention, finance and building safety approvals, as well as sign-off from the city’s community improvement division, according to the city.

A conditional use permit, medical marijuana business permit and business license are all required to open under Measure X.

Monday’s Planning Commission meeting starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.

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