The special status that cannabis cultivation permitting has enjoyed over the four years since it was legalized in the state of California by the passage of Prop. 64 may become a little less special later this year in Sonoma County, should a proposed General Plan amendment go into effect that will manage cannabis cultivation similarly to other crops’ agricultural uses.
In brief, the recommended changes to the General Plan include cannabis in the Agricultural Resources Element’s definitions “to establish policies to ensure the stability and productivity of the county’s agricultural land and industries,” along with other food, fiber and plant material production.
“This is a smart and bold approach,” said Amy Jenkins, a cannabis policy lobbyist who lives in Sonoma. “As an agricultural crop produced for human consumption, this is exactly how we want cannabis to be treated.”
The current use permit process involves multiple stages of review and studies across numerous government agencies. A proposed amendment to the county General Plan would recognize cannabis as an agricultural crop consistent with state law.
Read more at sonomanews.com