Illegal Marijuana Dispensary Discovered in Seabreeze Inn

Owner Arrested for Illegal Sales of Cannabis and Forgery

A former candidate for Santa Cruz County Supervisor and owner of the Seabreeze Inn, a beachfront bar at 101 Esplanade in Rio Del Mar, was arrested. Thomas “Rich” McInnis in 2012 ran for District 2 Santa Cruz County Supervisor and lost to Zach Friend by a wide margin. McGinnis owns the building and lives upstairs above the bar.

On Thursday July 9 2015 at 8:00 pm, in response to numerous public complaints, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Marijuana Compliance Team assisted by California Alcohol and Beverage Control Agents served a search warrant at the Seabreeze Inn. The team had received numerous complaints that McGinnis was operating an illegal marijuana dispensary Sheriff’s Lt. Kelly Kent said.

The 52-year-old owner was arrested for possession of marijuana for sale and for forgery. McGinnis was charged with operating an illegal marijuana dispensary from the bar’s back room. A display case was concealed from view by a bed sheet from which he was selling marijuana edibles, candy bars, drinks and lotions without a permit approved through Santa Cruz County. He was also charged with selling fake CA state medical marijuana cards and was in possession of software and a printer used in the forgery. He was booked into the county jail and bail was set at $5000.00.

When McGinnis bought the building in 2006, Rio Del Mar community members hoped that he would return the long-neglected property back into a viable business but neighbors said nothing has changed.

Now The Seabreeze property is scheduled for an August 7 foreclosure sale with debts worth more than $2 million. Also, McGinnis has been fined $2,500 by Santa Cruz County for failing to remove two large shipping trailers on his adjoining empty lot and is being sued by the county.