While county residents mull over the looming water scarcity brought on by two years of drought, our water crisis intensifies with the rollout of commercial cannabis. Napa’s “9111 Report” states cannabis water demand per harvest is 6 times that of grapes. That fact, added to... Continue

This year our Sonoma County is, once again, heading into drought. We need to take a longer view when making choices that impact our collective resources. This is why I am disappointed in our county's new cannabis ordinance, which goes for a one-size-fits-all, let's-make-it-easier approach.... Continue

The Cannabis Draft Ordinance is contrary to what the public was told and promised coming out of public hearings from the first amendment back in 2019.  Namely, the first amendment was a temporary patch, didn’t cover neighborhood concerns, and promised that phase 2 would primarily... Continue

We, the residents of Bloomfield, are extremely concerned about the imminent health and safety violations posed by the major revisions to the Commercial Cannabis Cultivation Ordinance of 2018, to our town, as well as other residential communities in Sonoma County. If any changes are to... Continue

Sonoma County is positioning to become a major commercial cannabis cultivation center. Napa and Marin Counties have prohibited cannabis cultivation. Humboldt County has approved it with very strong protections for adjacent residential properties including a 1000-foot setback and a conditional use permit providing a public... Continue

Our Sonoma County supervisors are rapidly marching towards approving a cannabis ordinance that will significantly impact our wells and ground water at the same time that officials are asking for voluntary reductions in water use.    According to the Napa County 9111 report, published in 2020,... Continue

For anyone working outside the home or teleworking from home during the pandemic, needing time off work to care for ourselves or a loved one affected by COVID can feel like a horrible Catch-22. When the choice is between loss of income or personal health... Continue

Sonoma County wants to be a mecca for outdoor cannabis cultivation, boasting that people prefer Sonoma County weed because of soil and climate.  Yet they bring in external soil, discard spent soil, and shield plants from our natural climate in hoop houses or greenhouses.  The... Continue