Empowering Redondo Beach Voters to Make Informed Choices on Upscale Cannabis Dispensaries in Redondo Beach

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting photos of modern, high-end cannabis dispensaries so you can see what they really look like. Think boutique wellness retail stores — not the outdated images some want you to believe.

If there’s interest, I may also host small educational events and/or arrange tours of upscale dispensaries designed for communities like ours.

Before you fill out any Redondo Beach City-sanctioned survey… please learn first!

Why Now? Why It’s Timely

The City is spending approximately $34,000 for a survey of 500 “randomly selected” voters about potential cannabis dispensaries within two weeks. Yet:

·      The community hasn’t seen the questions

·      As far as I know, the cannabis industry was not consulted

·      Residents are being surveyed before they have real information

This is not empowerment. It’s a classic political tactic: survey uninformed voters to justify a predetermined result.

And it’s even more concerning when the people reviewing this survey are not informed. Earlier this year, a councilmember I spoke with didn’t know the difference between CBD and THC — yet he helped review cannabis survey language that could impact Redondo for decades.

What’s Really Driving the Anti-Cannabis Push?

A small group stopped the City Council from approving responsible cannabis regulations in March — after years of work and millions spent. That same group has been:

·      Using fear-based messaging

·      Sharing questionable or misleading data

·      Rallying parents against legal cannabis — which only strengthens the Black Market, where anything is sold to anyone – including your children!

·      Making political promises without legal authority

During the recent mayoral race in Redondo Beach, they even told me they could “guarantee the PTA vote” IF I changed my cannabis position.

·      The PTA is a 501(c)(3); it cannot take political positions

·      The group wasn’t even officially affiliated with the PTA.

My position then and now remains the same: Keeping It Real in Redondo.

Reality Check: What Upscale, Regulated Cannabis Stores Actually Look Like

Most critics have never been inside a modern, licensed dispensary. If they had, they’d know:

✔️ Products Are Tested Legal cannabis is tested for safety — unlike the Black Market, where fentanyl and other dangerous additives are real risks.

✔️ Strict Age Controls Protect Minors No entry under 21 (or under 18 with a medical recommendation). IDs are checked before you can even walk in.

This is far stricter than:

• liquor stores

• grocery/convenience stores

• restaurants serving alcohol

• smoke shops — which minors can simply walk into

If protecting kids is the goal, then selective outrage is hypocrisy.

Learn. Then Decide.

Cannabis for adult-use became legal in California in 2016. Since then, the industry has been evolving into a regulated, responsible, and sophisticated retail environment.

Redondo Beach deserves more than three-minute comments at City Council meetings. They deserve

·      Information

·      Education

·      Fact-based decisions

If you’re interested in attending a cannabis educational event or touring dispensaries representative of today’s industry: Message me or email: drjoani@aol.com

Let’s empower our community with real-world knowledge — not political games.

Keeping It Real in Redondo.