The Public Health Institute (PHI) has released its Getting it Right cannabis policy scorecard for California’s local governments. This is the second year PHI has released the metrics.
For two years, PHI has reviewed cannabis policies in all 539 cities and counties. Even for those who don’t ascribe to PHI’s more protectionist views of marijuana, the scorecards provide a well-researched glimpse into the state of marijuana policy across the state. The organization also offers model policies and recommendations that cities and counties can adopt.
Scorecards are provided for every jurisdiction where retail or delivery cannabis is sold. Emphasis is placed on best practices “to protect youth, reduce problem cannabis use and promote social equity beyond those already in state law,” with scores out of 100 given to each jurisdiction.
The scorecards are based on six primary categories: 1) Retailer and delivery requirements 2) Taxes and prices 3) Product limits 4) Marketing 5) Smoke-free air 6) Equity and conflict of interest
You can use the map to view the 2022 scorecards for each jurisdiction here.
To see how things have evolved since 2021, view the scorecards from last year.
Here are some further highlights from PHI:
- In 2022, 76% of jurisdictions limit the number of allowed storefront retailers
- 58% of jurisdictions have more stringent distance requirements than the state for sensitive sites like schools
- 44 jurisdictions have brought back on-site consumption
- Only 22 jurisdictions have ordinances that prioritize equity in hiring or licensing
- 165 jurisdictions have enacted local cannabis taxes; only 17 dedicate cannabis tax revenue to substance abuse prevention, youth education, or addressing harms caused by criminalization