October 11, 2020
Mendocino County Cannabis Community
Re: MCA County Cannabis Program Status Update
In advance of the BoS meeting on October 13, 2020 focused on the County cannabis program, MCA has put together the following assessment of the current situation:
- Enforcement without opportunity is a broken paradigm. As long as our local permits (and annual state licenses) are inaccessible to existing unlicensed farmers, our friends and neighbors have no opportunity to participate in the regulated cannabis
- Sheriff Kendall has reiterated that none of the recent violent crimes have been associated with licensed farms. He agrees that there should be a path forward to bring more people into the regulated system. He also believes that current local and state regulations are far too onerous and
- Cannabis is an agricultural crop, cultivation is an agricultural activity, and MENDOCINO CANNABIS CULTIVATORS ARE FARMERS. Until the local and state regulations reflect this reality accurately, our cannabis farmers will continue to struggle to participate in the regulated system.
- Despite the challenges our licensed farmers continue to face, it looks like CANNABIS TAXES WILL BRING IN $5.8 MILLION THIS YEAR, AND HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN THE ONLY REVENUE SOURCE TO OUTPERFORM EXPECTATIONS. It is estimated that many of Mendocino’s existing cultivators are not yet licensed. When more of them can join the regulated industry, cannabis will become a truly thriving economic driver for our county. Cannabis has been deemed an essential business and if allowed to flourish, may be more insulated than other local industries that have been heavily impacted by the
- The Board of Supervisors has voiced support for the priority of legacy cultivation from the beginning of this regulatory process, and have recently reaffirmed their commitment to Phase One applicants. Resolving the issues facing existing licensed operators must remain the first priority in all changes to the County’s cannabis
- Licensed Cannabis Farms must adhere to strict environmental regulations. There are no environmental controls on unlicensed farms. The more existing farms that get licensed, the better the outcomes for our
CLICK HERE to see MCA’s recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for the 10/13 meeting.
