It would be a mistake if either of the proposed cannabis dispensaries on 3550 or 3596 Orcutt Road were approved. These two locations are almost the midpoint between and very close to Joe Nightingale Elementary School and Lakeview Junior High.

Though the addresses of these two proposed dispensaries may be a few dozen feet more than the 600-foot buffer from schools and child-serving institutions required by county ordinance, location of a dispensary on either site would violate the spirit of the ordinance. That not just one, but two schools would be impacted would make the proposed sites even more detrimental to the community.

Approximately 750 children attend Joe Nightingale Elementary School, and approximately 500 students attend Lakeview Junior High. This is approximately 1,250 students from kindergarten through eighth grade who would be within hundreds of feet of a cannabis dispensary. This is about one-quarter of all the children who attend school in the Orcutt Union School District.

In addition, the proposed dispensary locations are adjacent to Spencer’s Fresh Market, which is a popular destination before and after school for elementary and junior high students. Also in the immediate vicinity is KleinDance Arts, which serves many children.

Neither 3550 nor 3596 Orcutt Road would be an appropriate location for a cannabis dispensary. These proposed sites should be turned down.

Lanny Ebenstein, Ph.D.
Santa Barbara

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