Has the red tape lessened for Mendocino cultivators?
This week the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors transitioned the administration of cannabis permits from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Planning and Building Services. This change comes right before the application process for Phase 1 cultivation (cultivation with proof of operation prior to Jan. 1, 2018) re-opens April 1st. The county hopes the move of administration will streamline the stalled application process.
Mendocino is a county of estimated 10,000 growers where many unincorporated towns rely solely on cannabis dollars. However, the local regulatory framework for legalized cannabis is chaos. Calling any department associated with the cannabis permitting process gets you passed back and forth between departments, left with unanswered questions, and eventually having to leave a voicemail with someone who may or may not have any idea about cannabis cultivation permits and may or may not return your call.
Direct answers have been hard to come by. Even county supervisors are having trouble getting answers. 5th District Supervisor Ted Williams asked for an application timeline at a Board of Supervisors meeting in early February. He was given the run around by county staff who couldn’t even give an estimate and attempted to continually pass the buck to state water authorities. Such non-responses from the county staff, the ones responsible and in control of the process, is troubling for a county in the emerald triangle. The program has been such a mess that last year two Agricultural Commissioners (one interim) cut ties with the county.
Hopefully the move to the Planning Department will yield positive results, but with thousands of growers needing permits, getting a permit is bound to be an uphill battle. We recommend that you work with someone familiar with the process and Mendocino County – this is where we can help. Give us a call and we can assist you in navigating the bureaucratic hoops to successfully obtain a Mendocino Cannabis Cultivation Permit.
Find the Mendocino cannabis website HERE