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Elyon weed12/24/2023 ![]() Larger grows require a conditional-use permit from the the county’s planning and building department, and entail a much more rigorous review process that can require environmental impact studies, cultural studies and public hearings. They are considered to be “ministerial” permits, which require much less stringent review before approval. Multi-tenant permits fall under the county agriculture department. ![]() “Staff found that the current ordinance doesn’t really effectively distinguish between true multi-tenant operations,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Lynda Hopkins. The aim was to help small-scale farmers access land, according to county staff and officials.Ĭritics say, however, that the multi-tenant pathway creates a loophole allowing cultivators to get around stringent requirements for grows over 10,000 square feet by acquiring permits for adjacent smaller plots, which individually are not scrutinized as closely. Multi-tenant permits have been available in the county since 2016, when California voters supported legalizing recreational marijuana. ![]() On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors will take another step in its effort to curb complaints when it considers a 45-day moratorium that, if passed, would stop the county’s agriculture department from issuing multi-tenant permits, which allow farmers to share land. In May the county agreed to study the industry impact in an lengthy environmental report that is likely to take at least a year to complete. Neighbors say the county’s regulations are too loose, but farmers say the county’s lengthy permitting process and high fees are a burden for farmers struggling to get a foothold in the local industry. Tensions have been mounting for years between farmers and neighbors over safety, water use, smell and other impacts on neighborhoods. The move, which would close a loophole that critics say is being abused, is being hotly contested by growers in the industry. In its latest bid to untangle Sonoma County’s troubled cannabis regulations, the Board of Supervisors will consider temporarily banning a type of permit intended for small-scale farmers.
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