Hayward is one step closer to opening a second cannabis dispensary. On Dec. 16, the city council approved a retail conditional-use permit for a cannabis shop on 21463 Foothill Blvd.
The proposed marijuana business would be called Phenos Hayward. The location is nearly 15,000 square feet in what used to be a Walgreens. Phenos is one of 18 dispensaries across California that are under a cannabis company called The Premier Group.
Esther Lopez is the person applying for a cannabis business in Hayward. She has been a Hayward resident since the 1980s.
The store is one of three dispensaries Hayward is allowing in the city. It will have a lobby area where IDs are checked, a room displaying marijuana products and a back room for storage.
The city made $750,000 so far in fiscal year 2025 from the existing cannabis businesses. As a show of good faith, Phenos Hayward is paying the city the first $1 million they make from cannabis tax revenues.
It would be the second adult-use cannabis dispensary in the city. Nearby is Garden of Eden, located on 21227 Foothill Blvd. in the unincorporated community of Cherryland, a block and a half away from the proposed Phenos location. The other Hayward cannabis store, Cookies, is on 1004 B St.
More than 50 people attended the meeting to oppose or support the proposed marijuana dispensary. Lopez was also present at the meeting.
One supporter came all the way from Modesto’s Club W (under the same company as Phenos Hayward) to make a public comment on the cannabis shop. “Phenos represents meaningful economic growth for Hayward,” she said, “creating well-paying jobs, prioritizing local hiring and contributing significant tax revenue that can support public services like roads, parks and youth programs.”
People are against the cannabis dispensary because of crime, traffic safety, minors possibly buying the product, and people smoking near the store.
The biggest concern is the location of the dispensary, which is near a martial arts school that kids attend. A man and his two sons are students at the martial arts school.
“I personally witnessed reckless driving at this location on a regular basis,” he said. “There is a driveway that is clearly marked as a one-way exit and it’s located directly from the dojo. Despite this, drivers routinely enter through in an attempt to bypass heavy traffic.”
One person from an unincorporated part of Alameda County said she lives near the proposed site. She is against the cannabis shop, saying as a pedestrian she often sees people parked and smoking in their cars before they drive away.
“What’s wrong with it is that they’re smoking on those side streets and they’re driving home impaired, endangering me, endangering my neighbors,” she said. “As well as this place might be monitored, they are not going to monitor off their property.”
One middle and high school teacher said he supports the marijuana dispensary. “Smoke shops, vape shops, are the pipeline. They sell in the gray zone, and they know exactly who their customers are, middle school and high school students,” he said. “Licensed dispensaries are the solution to preventing underage cannabis use.”
