Sonoma County supervisors Tuesday voted to streamline approvals for cannabis farms to address the county’s struggle to permit commercial pot cultivation three years after Californians voted to legalize it.
Supervisors acknowledged the requirements for cannabis growers have been too onerous and expensive, holding back legal cultivators while the black market thrives. They agreed to shift oversight of cannabis cultivation from the building department to the agriculture division, a move that also eliminates the ability of the public to appeal cannabis farms.
Agriculture Commissioner Tony Linegar said the shift means cannabis farms will be vetted like other new agricultural projects, such as vineyards and orchards. They will still be held to additional standards such as security measures required given the high-dollar value and illicit market legacy of the crop and will need to get separate permits for building projects.
“This was a big day for the cannabis industry in Sonoma County,” Linegar said. “We treat cannabis farmers like any other farmers in the county — they’re all farmers to us.”
Read more at pressdemocrat.com