The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a permanent ban on industrial hemp cultivation on Tuesday replacing the temporary moratorium that was set to expire May 10, 2021. Though the ban is “permanent,” the ordinance passed by supervisors will likely be amended at a future date to allow non-commercial hemp cultivation for research purposes.
The College of the Redwoods expressed interest in limited cultivation of industrial hemp for educational and research purposes at its Tompkins Hill Road campus in October 2020. Humboldt County Planning Commission staff then drafted inland and coastal industrial hemp ordinances that continued the existing moratorium in unincorporated areas of the county with an exception for CR through a special permit process.
Because the coastal zone boundary bisects the CR campus, the coastal ordinance was passed on to the Coastal Commission for review.
“We did receive comments from the Coastal Commission that suggested some changes regarding potential impacts on coastal resources,” county planner Elanah Adler told supervisors. “However, when the Planning Commission made their action (on Jan. 7) they voted to recommend approval of the draft industrial hemp ordinance without the Coastal Commission suggested changes.”
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