OCEANSIDE — At least three of the six companies granted cannabis retail licenses earlier this year have submitted permit applications for their future storefront dispensaries.
Embarc was the most recent applicant to submit a conditional use permit application, filing in September for a dispensary at 2525 S. Vista Way near the city’s border with Carlsbad along the state Route 78 corridor. The site is near a psychic and the Mohnacky Animal Hospital of Carlsbad.
Before Embarc’s application, MedLeaf and Noble Victory LLC, also known as Left Coast, submitted applications for dispensaries at 3671 Mission Avenue and 1401 Mission Avenue, respectively.
MedLeaf’s proposed location is currently Paul’s Place Restaurant, and Noble Victory’s is the former China Star Buffet restaurant, visible from Interstate 5.
MedLeaf and Noble Victory were the first two applicants to receive storefront licenses because they were already operating licensed cannabis delivery businesses.
Originally, the plan was to issue only two more licenses. March and Ash was the next applicant to receive a license after scoring higher than the remaining applicants during the application process.
Embarc, Green Venture Farms and Oceanside Retail OPCO tied for the fourth license. To keep things fair, the City Council agreed to grant all three licenses, noting the slim chance that all six licensees would open dispensaries.
According to Embarc’s plan, the dispensary would occupy an existing 1,518-square-foot commercial building on a 10,329-square-foot parcel.
The site contains four parking spaces, with no expansion proposed at this time. Street parking is currently available along South Vista Way.
According to Embarc’s application documents, its objective is to reuse and improve the existing commercial property to create a “safe, compliant, and community-oriented cannabis retail business serving Oceanside residents and visitors” while also improving the property’s appearance, generating local employment and economic activity, and supporting local businesses.
“Embarc Oceanside seeks to provide safe, regulated access to cannabis for a wide range of appropriately aged adult-use customers and qualified medical patients in a secure, welcoming, and educational retail environment that helps reduce stigma surrounding legal cannabis,” its description states.
Embarc has also committed to contributing 1% of its annual gross receipts primarily to youth-serving Oceanside nonprofit organizations and city-sponsored programs — a contribution the city weighed as part of the dispensary’s application.
MedLeaf’s proposed location includes a 1,919-square-foot building on a 16,338-square-foot site, with 22 proposed parking spaces.
Noble Victory would operate within a 2,472-square-foot suite in the existing 6,350-square-foot building.
While Embarc’s location meets all of the city’s location and separation requirements, MedLeaf and Noble Victory need location waivers because of their proximity to other sensitive, regulated uses.
For MedLeaf, a location waiver is necessary because of its proximity to two child care facilities, Kiddie Academy of Oceanside and Garden Day School.
For Noble Victory, a waiver is needed because of its proximity to Ron Ortega Recreation Park, Brooks Street Pool, the Women’s Club Park, Dale’s Liquor and DC’s Across the Street Bar.
Staff will continue to evaluate the conditional use permit applications for all three dispensaries before bringing them to the Oceanside Planning Commission for approval.
