San Bernardino Residents Protest Cannabis Store Relocation Near Senior Housing and Churches

Sixth Ward residents, faith leaders, business owners and former elected officials rallied Sunday afternoon in 100-degree heat against the city-approved relocation of a cannabis retailer to 1602 W. Highland Ave. Protesters argued the site is too close to senior housing, homes and churches and was approved without adequate community input.

The Coalition of Westside & 6th Ward Citizens organized the Aug. 2 protest at Highland Avenue and Medical Center Drive under the theme “Community Yes, Cannabis No.” Organizers said their opposition is focused on the location and approval process, not on cannabis businesses generally.

The proposed retailer would occupy a former neighborhood market through the relocation of an existing commercial cannabis permit. On June 17, the San Bernardino City Council approved Commercial Cannabis Business Permit 26-001, allowing the permit’s ownership transfer from PTRE Management LLC to OG Ventures LLC and its relocation from 225 E. Airport Drive to the Highland Avenue property.

Coalition members contend the location conflicts with the surrounding neighborhood and may violate the city’s cannabis ordinance.

San Bernardino Municipal Code Section 5.10.250 requires cannabis businesses to meet zoning and distance standards. The ordinance requires at least 600 feet between a cannabis business parcel and residentially zoned parcels, K-12 schools, licensed commercial day care centers, youth centers and parks. It also directs the city to consider proximity to religious facilities and libraries.

Those distances are generally measured from exterior parcel line to exterior parcel line.

Organizers said the Magnolia at Highland Senior Apartments is 168 feet from the proposed store’s front entrance and a residence at 2177 Medical Center Drive is 231 feet away. They also said Iglesia Universal Church sits on a parcel less than 60 feet from the site, while the Dorothy Inghram Branch Library and San Bernardino City Unified School District’s Western Highland Administrative Annex are about 500 feet away.

The measurements were provided by the coalition and were not independently conducted by IECN. Because some were calculated from the store’s entrance rather than parcel lines, they do not alone establish whether the location violates the code. The district property identified by organizers is an administrative annex, not a traditional K-12 campus.

Former Sixth Ward Council member Kimberly Calvin claimed the city failed to follow its own rules and did not adequately notify nearby residents, churches and businesses.

“This is a total violation of the city’s very own cannabis ordinance, the municipal code,” Calvin said. “The city of San Bernardino wants to always challenge, mandate or demand that community members respect laws, business owners respect laws, but yet they themselves do not.”

Calvin said representatives of a neighboring restaurant and Iglesia Universal Church told coalition members they were not notified about the proposed retailer. She also said the San Bernardino City Unified School District submitted a letter opposing the location because students travel through the area and a district facility is nearby. 

Amy Malone, owner of Girl in Charge Public Relations in downtown San Bernardino and a Fourth Ward resident, said the protest was about accountability and community participation.

“This is not a protest against cannabis stores,” Malone said. “This is a protest of the process not being done above board, and we will not have it.”

Malone said the Sixth Ward has long been overlooked and should receive the same thoughtful investment as other areas of the city.

“San Bernardino is open for business, but it’s not desperate for business,” Malone said. “The Sixth Ward will not just be given anything that is thrown at them. They will be a part of the process of developing this city.”

Calvin said residents want grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops and other neighborhood-serving businesses. She said the coalition would be more receptive to a cannabis retailer in an industrial area farther from homes and community institutions.

Rikke Van Johnson, a former San Bernardino City Council member and event organizer, said the dispute extends beyond one proposed business.

“This movement is about the people and those courageous enough to stand up and speak out on behalf of their community,” Johnson said. “This is not simply about one business. It is about ensuring residents have a voice in decisions that shape the future of their neighborhoods.”

Calvin said the coalition has obtained legal counsel and will continue challenging the relocation. Organizers are attending the City Council meeting Wednesday, Aug. 5, to speak during public comment.

The council’s open session begins at 5 PM at Bing Wong Auditorium, 555 W. Sixth St.