NATIONAL CITY, Calif. — As of right now, National City has no marijuana businesses in operation, but that’ll change soon. The city has issued the maximum amount as six licenses are allowed under its ordinance.
Shovels could soon hit the ground for the construction of several weed shops in National City.
This is expected to bring in millions of dollars in additional tax revenue to the city.
At a cost of $100,000 per license, that would mean anywhere from 2 to 3 million dollars for our city,” said Councilmember Jose Rodriguez.
He is in favor of marijuana shops, he pushed for businesses to agree on permit conditions like having 20 percent of staff hires be people convicted of a misdemeanor cannabis charge.
Rodriguez believes the legal weed industry can challenge the black market.
“Reduce the illicit market and really get that market out of the neighborhoods and get a fully legalized market,” said Rodriguez.
With the license, approvals will come the county’s first marijuana consumption lounge.
The company “Sessions by the Bay” is in charge of converting the former college building on Marina Dr. into a local dive bar with marijuana on tap.
“Our facility will be rather large, close to 24000 square feet. We will have a rooftop lounge, another component of the consumption lounge. The first floor will be our retail and we’ll also have an immersive experience that will provide educational topics on cannabis consumption,” said Alex Ayon, the co-owner for the company.
While the lounge has sparked interest, some people are concerned for businesses like these to open.
The consumption lounge is set to open by March 2024. Construction will start next month. No date has been set for other businesses.