SCPG Discusses Cannabis Program in Unincorporated Area (Bonita-Sunnyside)
At the 09.01.26 meeting last evening, the Sweetwater Community Planning Group tackled the subject of the proposed Socially Equitable Cannabis Program.
Agenda Item 7 was about writing a Letter of Support to the Board of Supervisors requesting that they adopt the SD County Board of Planning Commissioners' recommendations for the Socially Equitable Cannabis Program.
As reported in an earlier story, The Board of Supervisors and the County Planning Commission hold different views on how the Cannabis Program should be run.
On 01.14.26, the Board of Supervisors approved the state-aligned options which are the least restrictive and do not give response to the unincorporated concerns.
On 4/10/26, SD County Planning Commissioners, in a 4-1 decision, made recommendations substantially aligned with those land use recommendations requested by CPSGs which submitted comments at this time and in the past. The PC recommendations included "prohibition of outdoor cultivation, increasing the required buffer distance from 600 to 1,000 feet from 6 sensitive areas (schools, places of worship, daycares, youth centers, parks, trails), and to allow educational events on-site (with no product sampling.)"
Board member Mark Kukuchek pointed out that the Supervisors had already voted and approved the state-aligned options. They will be voting tomorrow for a second approval of their decision, making it the rule. So writing a letter at this time is a moot point.
Others pointed out that they just wanted the letter of support written to support all the planning groups and it would serve as a "unification gesture letter."
Mark Kukuchek made the motion that no Cannabis programs should be allowed in the unincorporated areas and if they must be allowed, then to follow the recommendations presented by the San Diego County Planning Commissioners (1. Prohibition of outdoor cultivation, 2. Increasing the required buffer distance from 600 to 1,000 feet from 6 sensitive areas—schools, places of worship, daycares, youth centers, parks, trails, and 3. To allow educational events on-site.)
Below are the voting results:
SEAT # | NAME | VOTE |
1 | Elizabeth Stonehouse | YES |
2 | Michael Clowers | ABSENT |
3 | Uwe Werner | ABSENT |
4 | Lori Noe | YES |
5 | Mark Kukuchek | YES |
6 | Daniel Diaz | YES |
7 | Michael Garrod | YES |
8 | Stephen Stonehouse | NO |
9 | Patty O'Mara | ABSENT |
10 | Harriet Taylor | YES |
11 | Felix Felix | YES |
12 | Anthony Tieber | ABSENT |
13 | Judith Tieber | YES |
14 | John Taylor | YES |
15 | Penni Wilson-Neely | YES |
This was an 10-1 vote. All Board members present voted for the motion with the exception of Steve Stonehouse.
The next San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting is tomorrow—Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 9:00 AM. The Socially Equitable Cannabis Program has been placed on the Consent Calendar. Everything on the Consent Calendar is voted/approved in one fell swoop. That means someone must go to the County Administration Center tomorrow—located at 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 310—in order to pull it off the Consent Calendar for further discussion. No members of the Board seemed interested in doing that.
It was unclear whether a letter would be written last night and hand delivered to the meeting. If not, I'm not sure what exactly the vote was about.
This train had already left the station before we left the house. In order to get ahead of this, this item should have been placed on the agenda when the Socially Equitable Cannabis Program was first introduced. That way the support letter could have been received before the Board of Supervisors started voting on the issue, not the night before the final vote.
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