§ 3.70.010. Definitions.  


Latest version.
  • The following definitions apply to this chapter unless the context clearly denotes otherwise:

    A.

    "Adult use" (i.e., "recreational" or "non-medical") refers to activity involving cannabis or cannabis products, which is restricted to adults twenty-one years of age and older and who do not possess a physician's recommendation, in contrast to an activity involving medical cannabis or medical cannabis products.

    B.

    "Cannabis" means all parts of the plant cannabis sativa linnaeus, cannabis indica, or cannabis ruderalis, whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin, whether crude or purified, extracted from any part of the plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, its seeds, or resin. "Cannabis" also means the separated resin, whether crude or purified, obtained from cannabis. "Cannabis" does not include the mature stalks of the plant, fiber produced from the stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of the plant which is incapable of germination.

    C.

    "Cannabis products" means cannabis that has undergone a process whereby the plant material has been transformed into a concentrate, including but not limited to, concentrated cannabis, or an edible or topical product containing cannabis or concentrated cannabis and other ingredients.

    D.

    "Commercial cannabis operation" includes the cultivation, possession, manufacture, distribution, processing, storing, laboratory testing, packaging, labeling, transportation, delivery, or sale (including retail and wholesale) of cannabis and cannabis products; except, as applicable, as set forth in Chapter 9.06 ("Personal Cultivation of Cannabis") of this code or as preempted by state law.

    E.

    "Commercial cannabis operation permit" shall mean a city of Morro Bay permit issued pursuant to the procedures provided for in Chapter 5.50 of Title 5 of the Morro Bay Municipal Code and which shall allow the permit holder to operate a specific type of commercial cannabis operation in the city of Morro Bay subject to the requirements of that chapter, state law, and the specific permit.

    F.

    "Cultivation" means any activity involving the planting, growing, harvesting, drying, curing, grading, or trimming of cannabis.

    G.

    "Cultivation site" means any facility or location where cannabis is planted, grown, harvested, dried, cured, graded, or trimmed, or that does all or any combination of those activities.

    H.

    "Delivery" means the commercial transfer of cannabis or cannabis products to a customer, and includes the use of any technology platform owned and controlled by the same person making such use.

    I.

    "Director" means the city of Morro Bay Community Development Director, and includes his/her designee(s).

    J.

    "Distribution" means the procurement, sale, and transport of cannabis and cannabis products between entities licensed for and/or engaged in commercial cannabis activities.

    K.

    "Distributor" means a person engaged in distribution.

    L.

    "Edible" means cannabis product that is intended to be used, in whole or in part, for human consumption, including, but not limited to, chewing gum, but excluding products set forth in Division 15 (commencing with Section 32501) of the Food and Agricultural Code. An edible cannabis product is not considered food, as defined by Section 109935 of the Health and Safety Code, or a drug, as defined by Section 109925 of the Health and Safety Code.

    M.

    "Extraction" means the process of obtaining cannabis concentrates from cannabis plants, including but not limited to through the use of solvents like butane, alcohol or carbon dioxide.

    N.

    "Finance director" means the city of Morro Bay Finance Director, and includes his/her designee(s).

    O.

    "Location" means any parcel of land, whether vacant or occupied by a building, group of buildings, or accessory buildings, and includes the buildings, structures, yards, open spaces, lot width, and lot area.

    P.

    "Manufacture" or "manufacturing" means to compound, blend, extract, infuse, or otherwise make or prepare a cannabis product; includes the activities of a manufacturer.

    Q.

    "Manufacturer" means a person that conducts the production, preparation, propagation, or compounding of cannabis or cannabis products either directly or indirectly or by extraction methods, or independently by means of chemical synthesis, or by a combination of extraction and chemical synthesis at a fixed location that packages or repackages cannabis or cannabis products or labels or relabels its container; includes the activity of manufacturing.

    R.

    "Marijuana" has the same definition as provided for "cannabis" in this chapter.

    S.

    "Medical" refers to activity involving medical cannabis or medical cannabis products, in contrast to an activity involving adult-use cannabis or adult-use cannabis products.

    T.

    "Medical cannabis" or "medical cannabis product" means cannabis or a cannabis product used in compliance with state law for medical purposes, pursuant to the Compassionate Use Act (Health and Safety Code § 11362.5), the Medical Marijuana Program Act (Health and Safety Code § 11362.7, et seq.), and the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (Business and Professions Code § 26000, et seq.).

    U.

    "Operation" means a "commercial cannabis operation" as defined by this chapter.

    V.

    "Permit" means a "commercial cannabis operation permit" as defined by this chapter.

    W.

    "Person" means any individual, firm, co-partnership, joint venture, association, corporation, limited liability company, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, syndicate, or any other group or combination acting as a unit.

    X.

    "Proceeds" means total revenue and/or money received through the sale of goods and/or services before any deductions or allowances (e.g., rent, cost of goods sold, taxes).

    Y.

    "Retailer" means a person engaged in the retail sale or delivery of cannabis or cannabis products to a customer.

    Z.

    "Space utilized as cultivation area" shall mean any space or ground, floor or other surface area (whether horizontal or vertical) which is used during the cannabis germination, seedling, vegetative, pre-flowering, flowering and harvesting phases, including without limitation any space used for activities such as growing, planting, seeding, germinating, lighting, warming, cooling, aerating, fertilizing, watering, irrigating, topping, pinching, cropping, curing or drying cannabis or any such space used for storing any products, supplies or equipment related to any such activities, no matter where such storage may take place or such storage space may be located.

    AA.

    "Term" means a calendar month in regards to the monthly taxation of proceeds from a commercial cannabis operation (or a defined set term, as determined by resolution of the city council, in regards to the taxation of proceeds from a commercial cannabis operation); and, means the fiscal year in regards to the annual taxation of the space utilized as cultivation area for cannabis.

    BB.

    "Testing laboratory" or "testing" refers to a laboratory, facility, or entity that offers or performs tests on cannabis or cannabis products; includes the activity of laboratory testing.

(Ord. No. 615, § 1, 11-6-18)