Downey officials remain adamant against marijuana dispensaries

With Bell Gardens poised to become the latest city to allow marijuana, some are wondering if Downey could be next? (Photo by Alex Dominguez)

DOWNEY — With another neighboring city closing in on giving the greenlight to commercial cannabis, could Downey be next?

Last week the Bell Gardens City Council continued discussions on whether or not the city should allow commercial cannabis. The city seems poised to follow through on the matter, with a second reading of the proposed ordinance scheduled for next week.

This caught the attention Downey’s residents, some taking to social media to voice their trepidation.

When it comes to Downey’s leadership, however, there is little concern.

Mayor Pro Tem Mario Trujillo said that there were already “several neighboring cities that have commercial marijuana.”

“We know that there is delivery going on in Downey already, and we know there are retail sales going on in surrounding cities already,” said Trujillo. “So, I don’t think that the actions of a neighboring city – at least this one – will affect the quality of life in Downey.”

Trujillo added that he didn’t believe Downey needed to open its doors to commercial cannabis, and that he didn’t see it “in the immediate future.”

“I think currently we’re very fortunate in Downey that we have a healthy surplus, right? We have a decent amount of reserves in our account,” said Trujillo. “I don’t think there’s any necessity, if you will, to bring marijuana to Downey.

“Cities that have turned to marijuana have done so as a source of revenue; they need revenue to provide services. Here in Downey, we’re very fortunate that we have a healthy tax revenue base from retail without the need for marijuana.”

Mayor Claudia M. Frometa said that Bell Garden’s impending decision was “a reflection of the current political climate” in those local governments.

Despite the allure some cities may feel due to the potential tax dollars retail cannabis could bring, Frometa argued that dispensaries also came with consequences.

A 2019 research study out of the University of Colorado, Denver found that neighborhoods with one or more marijuana dispensaries saw increased crime rates that were between 26 and 1,452 percent higher than in neighborhoods without any commercial marijuana activity.

For that reason, it’s a hard no for Frometa.

“It’s not a dialogue I am willing to consider,” said Frometa. “I look at this community, and I look at the residents, and I do have my ear to the ground. Overwhelmingly…our residents are concerned about public safety, and are concerned about increased drug addiction.”

Of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County, only 20 permit retail sales of cannabis, including Bellflower, Commerce, and Cudahy.

According to the Department of Cannabis Control, cannabis retailers can sell goods that have passed testing and quality assurance reviews (such as packaged flower, pre-rolls, topicals, and edibles), cannabis accessories (pipes, rolling paper, vape cartridge batteries), and branded merchandise.