When January 1st, 2018 comes around, no one really has a grasp on what's going to happen logistically in Orange County with the legalization of weed. With the exception of SanTana, every city in OC has banned marijuana, making it impossible for recreational storefronts to pop up at will. So it's likely SanTana will be the spot to score your freshly legalized, recreational herb.
But how will that roll out for the city? It remains to be seen, but sources told the Weekly that they spotted city staff last month in Denver to visit the Mile High City's booming dispensary scene—and not just low-level guys. Specifically mentioned were city manager David Cavazos and deputy city manager/pot czar Robert Cortez. Seems innocent enough—those same sources didn't try to claim that the bureaucrats were competing in the Cannabis Cup or anything. And it makes complete sense for such trips—after all, SanTana councilmembers have gone on such junkets for years.
But when we reached out to Cavazos, he directed us to to Cortez, who then declined our request for an interview. Instead of confirming or denying the Denver expedition, Cortez only said, “At this point in time staff is only conducting research given the passage of Prop 64 and new state legislation.”
Hopefully, we have a better understanding of how the recreational industry will function in Orange County now.
