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San Luis Obispo seeking third pot shop, delivery service closes

May 11, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo is in the process of approving a third retail pot shop, this one located at the intersection of Broad and Woodbridge streets. Meanwhile, the city’s only licensed cannabis delivery service recently folded.

During the city’s previous pot shop application process, the city approved three retail shops, all of which were owned or partially funded by cannabis mogul Helios Dayspring. After Dayspring pleaded guilty to bribery and tax evasion, the city pulled his permit for SLO Natural Healing Center, opening the third permit to new applicants.

Currently winding through the permitting process, Embarc SLO is expected to open a retail pot shop at 2410 Broad Street net year. On Feb. 23, then SLO City Manager Derek Johnson approved the issuance of a contingent operator permit.

After approximately a year in business, cannabis delivery service Pure SL went out of business on Jan. 5. City staff is currently working to collect taxes the shuttered business owes the city.

Falling short of initial expectations, the city collected $1,127,744 last year in cannabis tax revenue, according to the city’s annual cannabis business program update.

In 2018, San Luis Obispo city officials embraced Dayspring, with three city council candidates – Heidi Harmon, Carlyn Christanson and Erica Stewart – attending a covert fundraiser Dayspring hosted and then failing to claim Dayspring’s non-monetary donation until discovered by CalCoastNews reporters.

While Harmon, Christianson and Stewart accepted multiple donations from people affiliated with the marijuana industry during Dayspring’s event, those donors were generally listed as retired or under a non-marijuana related occupation on their financial disclosure forms.

Harmon resigned as mayor in 2021 amid allegations she took gifts from Dayspring. Shortly before Harmon’s resignation, Dayspring admitted to paying bribes to former-San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill for favorable votes on his cannabis business interests and for deliberately failing to report millions of dollars in income to the IRS.

 


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Put the new “Pot Shop” next door to the Mayors house!


2

“Falling short of initial expectations, the city collected $1,127,744 last year in cannabis tax revenue”, so how much did the highly paid experts estimate was going to be collected, and did the city used that number in their budget process?


3

Would there be a third shop if the decision makers were drug tested, avoiding elected representatives from clouding their minds?


0

Apparantly, you need to research where the $ goes. It’s mandated…


3

I’m from the government, and I’m here to help…


10

Run Forest Run


7

Just let people sell it the same way they sell lettuce at the farmers market. Free the bud, free the people. Get the government out of it. it will all work out fine.


18

Negative externalities, man. It’s always the negative externalities.


0

Do you think you’re getting a pot license WITHOUT paying off Erika Stewart? Like with ABC liquor licenses it should be a lottery of qualified applicants, not a process specifically designed for corruption.


31

In January 2023, the county raised taxes on cannabis from 18% to 35% and shops cannot afford to stay in business because of political greed.


21

But all revenues are down and since officials have already spent more on increased compensation they have to make.up the shortfall somewhere, certainly cant reduce the citys biggest expense, compensations


13

The BOS and admin needed a raise and are afraid to take it directly, like Adam Hill did.


12

Jesus…I’ve been gone from SLO Co. for 12 years. Your saying that old goat is still around?


0