The city council imposed some additional conditions on The Hook, including that it submit quarterly reports on fake IDs to the city, collaborate with the school district and community stakeholders, undergo an annual review of its permit and not sell to customers younger than 21 during school hours. California law allows cannabis sales to customers 21 and older and 18 and older with a physician’s recommendation.
The applicant, Bryce Berryessa, already had agreed to make the windows on the Mission Street storefront opaque, to have minimal exterior signs, to implement enhanced security measures and to not sell to anyone younger than 19.
“It’s not the right location,” said Santa Cruz City Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson at Tuesday’s four-and-a-half-hour permit hearing. Even so, she agreed to “very reluctantly support it,” as long as the additional conditions are met. She referred to herself as “an ally and friend to the cannabis industry.”
The Mission Street site met the required zoning criteria to be more than 600 feet from all schools, parks, day cares, youth centers and other cannabis retail outlets. Santa Cruz police expressed no concerns about the location, according to a city staff report. The location attracted criticism for being just four