Grass Valley will have only one cannabis dispensary until the population grows over 15,000. Tuesday night the City Council agreeing with the decision of the Hearing Officer that had denied the appeals of two other dispensaries that were not selected. One of the two applicants that filed the appeals, is not pleased with the process. But instead of redoing the process, they were requesting council approve the second-place dispensary as well. The ordinance states that the city can have one dispensary per 7500 residents. The owners of the second-place application were requesting the council use the daytime population of the city, which includes people that live outside the city but work in or are visiting Grass Valley. The applicants stating the daytime population is around 20,000. The number of actual Grass Valley residents is just above 13,000.
Council members, including Bob Brandstrom, expressed sympathy for the applicants.

But Brandstrom also pointed out that no new evidence showing the selection or appeal processes were unfair was presented by the appellants.
Brandstrom also did not agree with the request to approve a second dispensary based on population. A second dispensary would make the ratio 6500 per dispensary which is not in alignment with the ordinance

Vice mayor Jan Arbuckle also supported the hearing officer’s decision.

The vote to uphold the appeals was 3 yes, 1 abstention and one absent. Mayor Ben Aguilar, and council members Brandstrom and Arbuckle voting yes. Council member Tom Ivy abstained from the vote- stating he has concerns about the entire process. Council member Hilary Hodge was not present at the meeting.