Policy

MCA Memos for 08-03 BOS Meeting

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors will be meeting On Tuesday August 3 starting at 9AM. MCA Has prepared two memos for this meeting.

The first will be offered for Public Expression and lays out our thoughts on how to proceed with local cannabis permitting given the likelihood of a successful referendum that calls for the repeal of Chapter 22.18.

The other is related to item 4f on the Consent Calendar, which disbands the current Cannabis Ad Hoc Committee consisting of Supervisors Haschak and Williams. It outlines our recommendation for a Cannabis Standing Committee, meeting bi-weekly with staff, stakeholders and experts to address the need for ongoing oversight of the Mendocino County Cannabis Program and improved pathways to licensure for more local operators.

CLICK HERE to read both memos.

CLICK HERE to review the materials provided by the County for the meeting.

If you agree with our recommendations, please email the Board of Supervisors at the following email addresses to share your support:

bos@mendocinocounty.org

District 4 – Dan Gjerde gjerde@mendocinocounty.org,

District 3 – John Haschak haschakj@mendocinocounty.org,

District 1 – Glenn McGourty mcgourtyg@mendocinocounty.org,

District 2 – Mo Mulheren mulherenm@mendocinocounty.org,

District 5 Ted Williams williamst@mendocinocounty.org

CLICK HERE to make sign up to make a Public Comment during the Board meeting.

MCP Portal Information Session Recap

On July 21, 2021 the Mendocino Cannabis Program held an information session on the upcoming application resubmission portal opening August 2, 2021.

CLICK HERE for the MCP Presentation Slides from the meeting

CLICK HERE for MCA’s notes from the meeting

CLICK HERE to review the session on the County’s YouTube page. 

And you can CLICK HERE to review the Portal Information Page on the County website.

Updates to Mendocino County Equity Program

The Board just approved the following revisions to the Local Equity Program:

• Increase income threshold to Moderate Level
  • Individual – $59,400
  • Family of 2 – $67,900
  • Family of 4 – $84850
• Increase Direct Grant amount from $10K to $50K
• Will work w/ www.ElevateImpactMendo.com to improve and simplify grant application process

The Cannabis Program will report back in September about how it’s going. If the revisions have still not led to eligibility for disbursement of the full available amount of Equity Grant funding additional revisions are possible.

Please check out www.ElevateImpactMendo.com to find out if you fit the Eligibility Requirements with the changes above and start getting your documents together!

MCA Memos for 7_19-20_2021

CLICK HERE to read the memos we sent to the Board of Supervisors for the meetings today and tomorrow on the following: (click the item names to see the materials provided by the County for each one)

7/19/2021

• Item 5b – Fee Schedule 
  • This item related to local cannabis fees was originally scheduled for 7/13 and the memo is the same one we already submitted.

• Item 6a – Update on Cannabis Water Use
  • This item will review research on cannabis water use by the Berkeley Cannabis Research Center which MCA has previously submitted to the Board for consideration. (CLICK HERE for their report on cannabis water usage in California)

7/20/2021

• Item 5b – Equity Program Amendments
  • We are submitting two memos for this item. One dated 07-20-2021 which is new, and one dated 10-13-2020 which we submitted on this exact topic, with recommendations that still apply today.  We are sharing both memos to further solidify the Board’s understanding of MCA’s ability to foresee and develop solutions to avoidable issues that continue to arise in the Mendocino County cannabis program.  

If you agree with our memos, please email bos@mendocinocounty.org to share your support for each agenda item.

CLICK HERE if you’d like to sign up to make a comment at the meeting today (starting at 1PM) or tomorrow (starting at 9AM).

MCA Memo on 7/13/2021 Fee Hearing

In advance of the Board of Supervisors June 13, 2021 Fee Hearing MCA has prepared a memo regarding proposed fees for the Cannabis Program being discussed.

We have provided several items for consideration, identified some discrepancies between costs listed in some of the documents, and put together a long list of items for similar services where fees for cannabis are higher than fees for non-cannabis activity.  Given the stated goal of the Board of Supervisors to treat cannabis more like agriculture, creating fee structures that provide parity to cannabis operators is an important component of that treatment.

CLICK HERE to read the memo!

If you agree with our recommendations, please email bos@mendocinocounty.org and share your support!

MCA Strongly Opposes Referendums

There are currently two referendums circulating around Mendocino County to address concerns with the new Commercial Cannabis Activities Ordinance, Chapter 22.18.  MCA is strongly opposed to both referendums.

While we appreciate and share concerns around large-scale expansion up to 10% on AG and qualifying Rangeland parcels, we believe that both referendums endanger the existing licensed businesses in Phase 1 and 2 by threatening to revoke or suspend the recently adopted discretionary land-use permit program. 

Due to these risks, we are asking our Members and the public to support our position while continuing to urge the BOS to conduct a full EIR prior to any expansion beyond the 2 acre cap unanimously recommended by the Planning Commission.

Please CLICK HERE to read our full statement.

We encourage you to share this link with anyone who has signed, or is considering signing, either of the referendums so that they can be aware of the potential risks involved.

MCA Policy Call Info for 07-01-2021

Topic: MCA Policy Call
Time: Jul 1, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

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CLICK HERE for Ordinance Documents

CLICK HERE for County Counsel Referendum Opinion

CLICK HERE for Origins Council Coalition Letter on the Cannabis Trailer Bill

CLICK HERE to schedule an interview with UC Davis researchers to help inform cannabis and community economic development research.

BoS Adopts New Ordinance but Directs Restrictions

On 06-22-2021 the BoS directed Staff to come back with an ordinance to cap expansion in the new ordinance to the following:

Expansion of up to 2 acres, plants in the ground no earlier than 2023. Then there will be two public hearings to determine the success of the program, based on as yet undefined benchmarks, but potentially including some sort of watershed impact.

If it is determined that expansion can occur based on the meetings and conditions being met, expansion of up to 5 acres could begin by Jan 2026.

The next level of expanded cultivation would max out at 10 Acres no earlier than 2029 after two more public meetings, only if benchmarks are met. The Board indicated that 10 acres would be the maximum allowable cultivation. They did not determine if that is exclusively for Outdoor cultivation, or total aggregated cultivation of all license types.

There was also an indication that permits will be able to be applied for during the drought, even if they will not be able to cultivate until the drought has ended. Kristin Nevedal commented that the Mendocino Cannabis Program is not expecting to accept any NEW cultivation applications until early 2022.

No direction was given to conduct an EIR.

The Board also passed an ordinance to enable restrictions on any new discretionary permit water use activity during the drought.

URGENT Call to Action RE: State Regulations 06-21-2021

‼️ CALL TO ACTION ‼️ The California Budget Act of 2021: Department of Cannabis Control Trailer Bill passed by a vote of the Legislature on July 1st, 2021. However, the measure has not yet been signed into law by the Governor, and the Legislature is working on a clean up trailer bill expected to be before the Legislature on:

Thursday July 15th for a vote.

There are several critical amendments related to the provisional licensing program that are URGENTLY NEEDED to protect small independently owned and operated cannabis businesses in California.

‼️ HELP US GET LANGUAGE ADDED TO THE BILL TO PROTECT PROVISIONAL LICENSES IN THE EVENT THAT CEQA or LSA PROGRESS IS STALLED DUE TO NO FAULT OF AN OPERATOR ‼️

#NoRightOfAppeal #NoDueProcess #LicensingInsecurity

Please CLICK HERE to sign this letter and ask your state representative to support small, independently owned and operated cannabis businesses in California.

CLICK HERE to read the state’s new CEQA and LSA requirements in order to hold onto and renew a provisional license.

Thank you for your efforts!

ACTION CLICK HERE to read the Origins Council Memo

CA State Senator Mike McGuire – senator.mcguire@senate.ca.gov

Chris Nielson, Legislative Director for Senator McGuire –  christopher.nielsen@sen.ca.gov

CA Assemblymember Jim Wood – assemblymember.wood@assembly.ca.gov

Paul Ramey, Legislative Director for Assembly Member Wood –  paul.ramey@asm.ca.gov

Thank you for your efforts!

MCA Recommendations for 06-22-2021 BoS Meeting

Below is a link to MCA’s recommendations that were submitted to the BoS for their consideration prior to the 6/22 meeting at which they will vote on the adoption of the new Commercial Cannabis Activities Ordinance.

In line with our past advocacy, we recommend the adoption of the unanimous recommendations of the Planning Commission for limited expansion, and to conduct an EIR for any expansion beyond that. Our memo explains why we believe this is the best approach to moving forward in a way that addresses all stakeholder concerns to the benefit of existing operators, the environment, future applicants and Mendocino County as a whole.

CLICK HERE to read the memo!

If you agree with our recommendations, please email bos@mendocinocounty.org and share your support for the MCA Memo on item 4ax and an EIR!