Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley isn’t shy about his preference for pot, readily offering that, “I consume, and have, as an adult, for a long time.” Yet, it’s his experience with the plant that makes him so openly against the proposal supported by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors this week to permit cannabis dispensaries to open smoking and consumption lounges. 

“It’s a terrible idea,” Keeley said. “I think you can go to a bar and have a beer, and you can go to a restaurant and have a cocktail. But I know you cannot take so much as a hit of a joint and not be too impaired to drive.” 

In a narrow 3-2 vote on Tuesday, the board of supervisors gave an initial nod to the rule change that would formally create the first legal venue for people to smoke cannabis outside of a private residence. If the support holds for a second vote on March 25, the cannabis lounges will become legal in the county’s unincorporated areas, but not within its cities. 

Asked on Thursday, Keeley said he’s “not even a little interested in” entertaining the idea within the city of Santa Cruz, primarily citing what he expects to be an increase of high drivers. Supporters have argued that people already drive high and a lounge provides a venue for them to legally smoke and then sober up before hitting the road; Keeley called that justification “phony.” 

“What’s someone going to do? Take a hit and sit for five hours at a smoking lounge?” Keeley said. “That’s a completely silly argument. I have no trouble with marijuana consumption, but on-site to me is saying we’re going to put on the streets people who are too impaired to drive.” 

In Scotts Valley, the only city in the county that doesn’t allow dispensaries, Mayor Derek Timm said cannabis lounges were unlikely to find support. During the supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Scotts Valley Police Capt. Scott Garner spoke in opposition to the rule change, warning that while local police can test for blood alcohol content against pre-determined standards, the same is not true for cannabis. Garner called the supervisors’ support “premature.” 

“This doesn’t happen on an island, it affects the larger community,” Timm said of the supervisors’ decision. He said he is considering whether to send a formal opposition letter to the supervisors ahead of their final vote on March 25. 

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Keehn said in an emailed statement that the office cannot yet say what kind of impact cannabis lounges will have on public safety, but that “there are arguments from both sides.” 

“As for policy, these operations would largely be regulated in a manner similar to establishments that serve alcohol, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and safety regulations,” Keehn wrote. 

The lounges weren’t unanimously rejected by the cities’ political leaders. Watsonville City Councilmember Casey Clark said that although he hasn’t heard of any interest in pursuing a lounge law within his city’s boundaries, “I could see myself supporting it.” However, he said learning that the same DUI breathalyzer tests do not exist for cannabis makes it “a little tougher.” 

“I can’t even tell you how many people I see smoking joints in traffic on Highway 1, certainly more than drinking beers,” Clark said. “That doesn’t make it acceptable. But I personally don’t have an issue with it. We have bars where people can go to drink alcohol.” 

Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco did not return Lookout’s requests for comment.

In Capitola, Mayor Joe Clarke said he hasn’t heard as much as a murmur of support behind a cannabis lounge idea. He said Capitola has been a little slower around developing its cannabis policies, only recently allowing a second dispensary to open up in town. 

“I don’t know if it’s always the best idea for people to consume marijuana and then drive,” said Clarke, a retired sergeant with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. “Not that I’m completely opposed to it, it’s just another element for law enforcement to have to try to control.” 

He added: “I don’t have a strong opinion about it. I think the supervisors are doing a great job.”

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