(A) Any person who is an owner, employee or who otherwise works within a cannabis business must be legally authorized to do so under applicable state law.
(B) Cannabis business owners, operators, investors, managers, and employees shall be required to submit to a criminal background check for themselves and all persons in their employment.
(C) The city shall conduct criminal background checks which must at a minimum identify the following:
(1) Whether the individual applying for employment has ever been convicted of a violent felony as defined by Cal. Penal Code § 667.5 or equivalent offenses in other states;
(2) Whether the owner or employee has ever been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty, fraud or deceit, including but not limited to fraud, forgery, theft, or embezzlement as those offenses are defined in Cal. Penal Code §§ 186.11, 470, 484, and 504a, respectively; or equivalent offenses in other states; or
(3) Whether the owner or employee has ever been convicted of the illegal use, possession, transportation, distribution, or similar activities related to controlled substances, as defined in the Federal Controlled Substances Act, not including cannabis-related offenses for which the conviction occurred after the passage of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.
(D) Evidence of a conviction of any of the offenses enumerated in § 6-5.08(C) shall be grounds for denial of employment.
(E) Violation of this section shall be grounds for immediate suspension of the business' operating cannabis business permit, pending a hearing before the City Manager within 30 days for a final determination of the status of the permit.
(Ord. 977 C.S., passed 6-16-21)