Thirty-seven local ballot measures in 31 California cities or counties addressing cannabis licensing and/or taxation appeared on November 8, 2022 ballots (or the 10/19 ballot – Redondo Beach). Of those, 24 cities or counties passed a total of 26 cannabis measures, and 10 cities or counties failed to pass 11 measures, including Sacramento County where a majority of voters (53%) approved a taxation measure that required a supermajority vote. Three of the cities split their votes between two measures.
Los Angeles County saw the greatest number of cannabis ballot measures, leading with Measure C to tax and allow businesses in unincorporated parts of the county carrying with nearly 60% of the vote. The tax rates in that measure are relatively modest compared with other cities and counties, starting at 4% for retail businesses (on top of 15% state excise taxes and sales and use taxes).
Several cities in LA county had competing measures either proposed by business interests some said aimed at allowing monopolies, versus measures put on the ballot by city councils. Both cannabis measures failed to advance reform in Manhattan Beach; in South El Monte Measure CM to allow one adult-use/medical with option of up to three total after the measure’s first year passed, while Measure X to allow five dispensaries plus other businesses failed. In Hermosa Beach, Measure M to end the city’s existing ban on cannabis businesses earned only 27% of the vote, while Measure T to tax such businesses carried with 66%. Similar results were seen in El Segundo, where the tax measure passed by 72%. Taxation/licensing measures carried in Baldwin Park, Claremont, Cudahy, Lynwood and Santa Monica.
Elsewhere, Orange County voters in Huntington Beach and Laguna Woods passed cannabis measures, as did voters in the city of Monterey and Pacific Grove, where both an advisory licensing measure and a tax measure passed. In Montclair, advisory Measure II is winning by a narrow margin of 13 votes, while a tax measure carried with 70% of the vote. Cannabis measures passed in Burlingame, South Lake Tahoe, McFarland, Avenal, Healdsburg, Exeter, Tulare, Woodland, Encinitas, and San Diego county. They failed in Lassen County, Susanville, and Red Bluff. Sausalito’s failed measure was seen as a vote against a monopoly.
| Results | City or County | County | Name |
| PASSED | South Lake Tahoe | El Dorado | Measure G |
| PASSED | McFarland | Kern | Measure O |
| PASSED | Avenal | Kings | Measure C |
| PASSED | Baldwin Park | Los Angeles | Measure CB |
| PASSED | Claremont | Los Angeles | Measure CT |
| PASSED | Cudahy | Los Angeles | Measure BA |
| PASSED | LA County | Los Angeles | Measure C |
| PASSED | Lynwood | Los Angeles | Measure TR |
| PASSED | Santa Monica | Los Angeles | Measure HMP |
| PASSED | Monterey (city) | Monterey | Measure J |
| PASSED | Pacific Grove | Monterey | Measures O &P |
| PASSED | Huntington Beach | Orange | Measure O |
| PASSED | Laguna Woods | Orange | Measure T |
| PASSED | Montclair | San Bernardino | Measures R & II |
| PASSED | Encinitas | San Diego | Measure L |
| PASSED | San Diego County | San Diego | Measure A |
| PASSED | Burlingame | San Mateo | Measure X |
| PASSED | Healdsburg | Sonoma | Measure M |
| PASSED | Exeter | Tulare | Measure B |
| PASSED | Tulare (city) | Tulare | Measure Y |
| PASSED | Woodland | Yolo | Measure K |
| PASSED/FAILED | El Segundo | Los Angeles | Measures Y & W |
| PASSED/FAILED | Hermosa Beach | Los Angeles | Measures M & T |
| PASSED/FAILED | South El Monte | Los Angeles | Measures CM & X |
| FAILED | Lassen County | Lassen | Measure S |
| FAILED | Susanville | Lassen | Measure R |
| FAILED | Manhattan Beach | Los Angeles | Measures MB & V |
| FAILED | Redondo Beach (10/19) | Los Angeles | Measure E |
| FAILED | Sausalito | Marin | Measure K |
| FAILED | Sacramento County | Sacramento | Measure B |
| FAILED | Red Bluff | Tehama | Measure E |
Read more about the measures and all Nov. 8 election results.
This story was updated to add Burlingame and a second advisory measure in Montclair, and the passage of Baldwin Park’s measure.
