Santa Cruz County Focuses on Improving Cannabis Policy Scorecard to Protect Youth, Public Health and Equity

California’s Santa Cruz County is looking at ways to improve its cannabis policy score based on a statewide scorecard that was developed by PHI’s Getting It Right from the Start. The scorecards highlight jurisdictions that are making positive steps in adopting cannabis regulations that protect youth, public health and equity.

“The city also has a new focus on improving its score on the statewide Getting It Right From the Start scorecard. Led by the Advancing Public Health & Equity in Cannabis Policy organization, the scorecard measures how well local jurisdictions insulate youth from the legal cannabis market. The City of Santa Cruz scored 42 out of 100 in 2023 (Stanger said the statewide high was 51). Local laws that go further state law score higher, Stanger said, and the city is looking at ways to improve its score, though Stanger said those are still in its early stages.

Stanger acknowledged that the cannabis industry was struggling in California, and said the city is looking into some tax reductions and cracking down on the psychoactive hemp market that competes directly with legal cannabis. However, while some jurisdictions are revisiting their regulatory structures to help businesses survive, she emphasized that the health impacts of legal cannabis were still being studied and that governments need to adjust to that as well.

“We’ve been collaborating with the county’s public health department, and they’ve indicated that there is an increase in cannabis-related substance issues among youth, not just in Santa Cruz, but everywhere,” Stanger said.”

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Originally published by Lookout Santa Cruz