Joe Devlin, chief of cannabis policy for the City of Sacramento, offers his insight into commercial cannabis real estate in the Capital Region. For more from Devlin, check out “420 Estates” in our August issue. Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll email you when it’s available online.

What’s the most impactful development in Sacramento’s commercial cannabis industry since its legalization?

photo: courtesy

The leadership of the City Council. The council has been pragmatic and thoughtful from day one on this complicated and controversial issue. In a short time, we have adopted a comprehensive regulatory structure, crafted an equity program to support opportunity for persons impacted by the criminalization of cannabis, partnered in a countywide public health campaign and will be the first city to train cannabis retail employees on youth prevention.

What do you foresee as the biggest change on the horizon in the year to come?

The federal government descheduling or rescheduling cannabis. Amid the choppy waters of federal politics, look for the federal government to either remove it from the Controlled Substances Act altogether, or reclassify it similar to other prescription and over-the-counter medications. Although impossible to predict, there have been a number of signals coming out of Washington D.C. that the industry is watching.

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