The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday advanced the Cannabis Program update, taking a straw vote to approve parts of the updated program following a public hearing.
The Cannabis Program update refines the County’s cannabis permitting framework and environmental policies, aligning land use and regulatory standards. The Board’s action marks a significant step toward updating the County’s cannabis policies, with final adoption of the Environmental Impact Report, general plan amendment, and ordinances scheduled for Dec. 9.
Key changes include allowing most supply chain uses in industrial and commercial areas by right, including consumption lounges. In agricultural areas, the Board voted to reclassify cannabis as a “controlled” agricultural crop with right to farm protections and allowances for more vertical integration at cannabis farms, which will further integrate cannabis into the agricultural landscape of the county and provide additional business opportunities and flexibility…