TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Supervisor Williams
MEETING DATE: November 12, 2019
DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
Ted Williams
PHONE:
463-4221
ITEM TYPE: Regular Agenda
TIME ALLOCATED FOR ITEM: 30 mins
AGENDA TITLE:
title
Discussion and Possible Action Including Direction to Staff to Develop a Cannabis Cultivation Amnesty Transition Pathway
(Sponsor: Supervisor Williams)
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION/MOTION:
recommendation
Direct staff to formulate a cannabis cultivation amnesty program along a path of least resistance and realistically sufficient to transition all commercial cannabis cultivation from black market to legal market, requesting assistance from the State where necessary. Further, directing staff to return to the Board of Supervisors with the draft program, including necessary variances from the State to reach collective goal of fully compliant cultivation.
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PREVIOUS BOARD/BOARD COMMITTEE ACTIONS:
None.
SUMMARY OF REQUEST:
Onerous regulation by the State has impeded the ability of our cannabis cultivators to come into compliance with the emerging legal market. This has left cultivators in fear, county services starved for revenue promised by legalization and the environment without protection. More than 90% of present cultivation might be outside the permit framework and without a clean slate amnesty approach, this trajectory will not change. State regulation was an abrupt change for our legacy cultivators. Systems do not respond well to abrupt changes. An amnesty program offering ample years to come into compliance will allow cultivators to remain in business while gradually transitioning. State assistance will be necessary to permit first and address compliance issues in reasonable time. It is requested that staff be directed to formulate a cannabis cultivation amnesty program including any necessary variances from the State, and return to the Board of Supervisors for final approval of the program.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION/MOTION:...
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