Will Napa allow pot farming, or won’t it?
A huge question hangs over the valley, the heart of Wine Country. Currently, Napa County bans outdoor cultivation in unincorporated areas.
But a moratorium on commercial cannabis growing expires in December — and what happens next has been the subject of a twist-and-turn saga.
A group called the Napa County Cannabis Association had gathered more than 8,000 signatures in June, enough to put a measure allowing commercial cultivation of cannabis on the March 2020 ballot. But last month, the group pulled the initiative off the ballot, in the hopes that county supervisors would move forward with legislation to legalize cannabis farming.
County supervisors, however, have directed their staff to look into what actions are needed to maintain the status quo — namely, a ban on commercial cannabis cultivation, according to David Morrison, director of the Napa County Planning, Building, and Environmental Services Department. That information will be presented at a Board of Supervisors meeting Sept. 17.
Even if the moratorium expires without additional legislation, cannabis farms still will not be free to set up shop, because of underlying county law.
Read more at sfchronicle.com