By the Numbers: San Jose’s Budding Cannabis Sector

The local pot industry has seen enormous growth since San Jose adopted its regulatory framework for cannabis in 2016. Here’s a look at where things stand right now in the Cannabis Capital of Silicon Valley.

The number of cannabis collectives authorized by the city of San Jose under its regulatory ordinance, which imposes strict oversight and high taxes. That’s down from a height of 120 before the city cracked down on renegade pot shops by enacting new local laws to rein in the industry in 2016.

The number of pot churches in San Jose claiming to be exempt from the city’s permitting requirements and 10 percent canna-business tax. The folks behind the Coachella Church of Cannabis on The Alameda and Oklevueha Native American Church on Meridian Avenue say they’re religious institutions that use the plant as a sacrament. But the city contends otherwise and is trying to shut them down.

The market value of San Jose’s cannabis sector reached $105 million in the last fiscal year, a number that’s expected to steadily climb.

The amount of cannabis tax revenue San Jose collected during that same time frame. Voters approved the 10 percent tax in 2010.

The number of full-time employees who work for the San Jose Police Department Division of Cannabis Regulation, which the city launched in 2016 ahead of California’s statewide legalization. Wendy Sollazzi, the city’s first-ever “weed czar,” has helmed the unit since last year.

The number of fines levied against San Jose’s cannabis collectives. That’s good news for the pot clubs, which face penalties of up to $50,000 for flouting the city’s strict cannabis ordinance. “We try to work with businesses,” Sollazzi says. “We want to bring people into compliance.”

Sources: City of San Jose, Silicon Valley Cannabis Alliance

2 Comments

  1. That’s not correct. There is only 1 church Coachella Valley Church. Other one is no longer open.

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