County says no to newer, looser cannabis grow policy

Sonoma County supervisors declined to adopt a Planning Commission proposal to make it easier for cannabis growers to obtain a permit from the county, ruling that more study of the environmental impacts and more public input is needed.

The proposed rules, more than a year in development, would have given the county’s agricultural commissioner more leeway to issue permits for cannabis cultivation and removed a 1-acre cap on marijuana crops for farms of 10 acres or more.

The decision does not affect licensed retail sales of cannabis.

Multiple board members noted that the proposal considered Tuesday did not have enough input from county residents, particularly those who live in rural areas closest to new and larger cannabis grows.

Supervisor David Rabbitt went as far as declaring the board “should apologize because I think we haven’t done any favors for the industry, for the neighbors or the county itself. I feel like we’ve been spinning our wheels and haven’t made much progress.” See more at SFGate.