[Canniseur: Here’s a perfect example of politics getting in the way of reality. Sonoma County north of San Francisco, which includes the famous Sonoma vineyards, is putting onerous demands on potential cannabis farms. The minimum plot size is out of reach for many and loses the whole idea of equalization and access in the newly legalized industry. Sonoma County really needs to get its act together.]
On the way north from San Francisco to the Emerald Triangle you must pass through some of the state’s most storied agricultural lands in Wine Country, including Sonoma County where the cannabis industry now faces unique challenges.
It was initially a relatively smooth transition for many of the county’s medical operators to the recreational market and much of that was thanks to a former department director who didn’t hate the industry. But new regulations and processes came for those who wanted to open up shop on in the adult-use marketplace. And then finally, in November 2019, the board of supervisors decision on minimum parcel size devastated the county’s oldest operators. That decision means you need to have 10 acres of land to grow an acre of pot. In addition, it means that the process to open up shop in the county’s unincorporated areas can take years.
This is all in contrast to the municipality of Santa Rosa, which has its ducks in a row and is now home to some giant pot companies as a result…
You can read the rest of the story at Cannabis Now Weed in Wine Country