Cannabis Facilities

Recent Changes


​The Pre-Application period for Cannabis Facilities will be open September 15, 2020-October 15, 2020

 To submit a Pre-Application for cultivation, processing, manufacturing, distribution, testing, or retail sales of cannabis, please click on the links below:
  • Watsonville Cannabis Pre-Application Form
  • Watsonville Cannabis Pre-Application Guidelines
 License Type Cultivation  Manufacturing  Distribution  Processing  Retail  Testing  Non-storefront delivery* 
 # open market  0  14  1  1  2  Unlimited 6 
 # equity set-aside  1  1  1  1  1 1 1
* Non-storefront delivery permits may only be obtained as an add-on permit to a permitted cultivation, manufacturing, or processing facility in good standing within the City of Watsonville. 

On June 23, 2020, the Watsonville City Council adopted revisions to Watsonville Municipal Code Chapter 14-53 (Cannabis Facilities).  These changes became effective on July 23, 2020. The major changes in the ordinance are outlined below:

Cannabis Businesses Regulated:
  • 6 cultivation permits (up to 22,000 sf, indoor)
  • 15 manufacturing permits
  • 3 processing permits
  • 3 retail dispensary permits
  • 2 distribution permits
  • Testing permits
  • Up to 7 non-storefront delivery permits for cultivator/manufacturer/processers
Cannabis businesses may be located on up to 2 parcels with 1 permit:
In order to allow existing businesses to expand, all cannabis businesses may apply for a secondary permit on a second parcel in the City.  For businesses that propose expansion onto a second parcel with the same ownership structure, a Minor Modification Permit shall be required.  For businesses that propose a modified business structure for the second location, an Administrative Use Permit shall be required and all new owners/investors must submit to a background check.

Modification of Separation Requirements
Separation Requirements
   Cultivation Manufacture Distribution Testing Retail
School (K-12)* 600' 600'
 600'
 600'
  600'
 Park 600'
 600'
 600'
   600'
Residential zone 250' 250' 250'   250'
Legal residential use 100' 100' 100'   100'
Faith based facility, licensed daycare, preschool or library 600'
 600'
 600'
   600'
* Separation distance from K-12 schools shall be measured from property line to property line. Separation distance for cultivation facilities shall be measured from parcel line of sensitive use to nearest wall of cultivation facility. Separation distance for all other cannabis facilities shall be measured by path of travel from nearest parcel line of sensitive use to the front door of the facility. Separation distance from K-12 schools shall be measured from property line to property line.

Distance is measured in 3 ways:
  1. For all facilities, property line to property line measurement from schools 
  2. For cultivation, property line of sensitive use to nearest wall of cannabis facility 
  3. For all other cannabis facilities, path of travel from sensitive use to main door of the cannabis facility 
Multiple licenses allowed per parcel
The previous ordinance allowed only 1 licensee per parcel. The revised ordinance allows multiple licenses on one parcel.

Background checks for employees no longer required
Background checks are required for owners and managers of the cannabis business only.

Allowable Zoning Districts
 Class Use  IP  IG  CO  CV 
 1A Cultivation, indoor, up to 5,000 sf  SUP SUP X X
2A Cultivation, indoor, up to 10,000 sf SUP SUP X X
3A Indoor, between 10,001 and 22,000 sf SUP SUP X X
6 Manufacturer 1, for products not using volatile solvents AUP AUP X X
7 Manufacturer 2, for products using volatile solvents AUP AUP X X
8 Testing AUP AUP AUP X
9  Non-storefront delivery AUP AUP X X
10 Retail, general SUP SUP X SUP
11 Distribution AUP AUP X X

Processing AUP AUP X X
IP = Industrial Park | IG = General Industrial | CO = Office Commercial | CV = Visitor Commercial
SUP = Special Use Permit | AUP = Administrative Use Permit | X = Prohibited

Regula​tions

For more information on the City’s regulations pertaining to cannabis facilities, please refer to Chapter 14-53 of the Watsonville Municipal Code.  

Frequently Asked Questions


Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here.

Resources


California Cannabis Portal
California Bureau of Cannabis Control
California Department of Health | Division of Food, Drug, and Cannabis Safety
California Department of Food and Agriculture | Cannabis Cultivation Licensing Regulations
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration | Tax Guide for Cannabis Businesses

SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS1


Cultivation

Manufacture

Distribution

Testing

Retail

School (K-12)

600’

600’

600’

600’

600’

Park

600'

600'

600'


600'

Residential Zone

250'

250'

250'


250'

Legal Residential Use

100'

100'

100'


100'

Faith based facility, licensed daycare, preschool or library

600'

600'

600'


600'