To be sure, the Emerald Triangle region of Northern California (comprised of Trinity, Mendocino and Humboldt Counties) grows the most marijuana by volume, hence the nod to greenery in its new moniker. However, if the pace of cannabis farming keeps up at the current clip, the Central Coast could soon surpass the northern neighbor region. And the region has a unique advantage over the Emerald Coast: No deep roots in the gray or black market.

Our Orange County marijuana business lawyers have been at the forefront of this industry, which has ballooned to an estimated $4 billion-a-year, and climbing. It’s been beneficial to the local tax base and also presents a new wave of opportunity for agricultural entrepreneurs seeking a legally sound yet lucrative opportunity. While the new law hasn’t entirely erased the stigma surrounding marijuana, the Central Coast lacks the cumbersome challenge of working to bring into compliance well-established underground growers transitioning into above-board – but heavily-regulated -operations. The risk of government raids is much lower (though not erased completely), but so are the profits, whittled by expensive new mandates and taxes. Operational, financial and legal concerns also persist as long as the drug remains illegal in the eyes of the federal government.

But while getting legal isn’t cheap, our California marijuana business attorneys serving the Central Coast emphasize its necessity in the long-game. Whereas only 200,000 medical marijuana patients were the primary legal market pool prior to the new state law, that now has expanded to the entirety of the state’s adult population – plus tourists. That huge opportunity means there is a market for growers, but smart entrepreneurs need to do it right. Long-time growers do have the advantage of equipment and experience, but staying competitive could mean relocation after careful jurisdiction shopping. Moving has its own set of logistical and financial burdens, but if one can find another location with an ideal climate, labor pool and transport routes AND lower cannabis crop taxes, it may well be worthwhile. Working with an experienced marijuana lawyer is key to ensuring all licensing and regulatory requirements are met.

At the lower end of the tax scale is Santa Barbara County, which has a current marijuana tax rate of 4 percent. Local leadership was strategic in this, hoping to regenerate some of the farming jobs lost to free trade economics. And still, only 330 acres of the county is devoted to growing cannabis, which is but a small fraction of what the vineyards own and operate. Those same vineyards are credited with replacement of dairy cattle and beef industry that fell by the wayside in the region. The county’s Board of Supervisors said their community is embracing the reality that marijuana is already in their communities, they won’t be successful in pretending it’s not – but they hope to keep the pace of growth reasonable, while also beneficial for the local tax base. Early estimates are that expected to be somewhere between $2 million and $3 million, most of which will go to enforcement, but there will be some left over for the benefit of unrelated public services.

The Orange County CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara Counties along the Central Coast. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Marijuana is emerging among California’s vineyards, offering promise and concern, Oct. 14, 2018, By Scott Wilson, The Washington Post

More Blog Entries:

California Cannabis Growers Grapple with Regulation, Oct. 8, 2018, California Marijuana Business Attorney Blog

proper use and regulations. The mid-September training is being provided by Riverside County’s Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and California Department of Pesticide Regulation, according to a release from the commissioner’s office. Commercial cultivation is banned in many parts of Riverside County, including the unincorporated areas, but the event is still open to anyone who wants to register.

Pesticides have become a hot-button issue in the marijuana industry, especially over the past few months. As of July 1, the transition period in which licensing authorities did not enforce certain regulatory provisions was no longer in effect. As our experienced attorneys can explain, mandatory laboratory testing was among those regulations that would be enforced. This has meant any cultivators not in compliance with pesticide use are now flagged during testing and their product is not able to make it to market. Even before July 1, pesticides were regularly in the news, with some unlicensed cultivators using toxic pesticides that have been killing off wildlife. Such behavior has had devastating effects on local ecosystems and given responsible cultivators a bad name.

Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act appoints the Department of Pesticide Regulation as the authority on matters of maximum tolerances for pesticides, residue on harvested cannabis, applications, and types of pesticides permitted. Per MAUCRSA, Sec. 41, 26060 (d-g), Department of Food and Agriculture is to be consulted on how guidelines specific to the cannabis industry are set, though cultivators must also follow certain rules already in place, such as prohibition of certain pesticides in the state.

It’s clear to anyone close to the matter that education is the key to everything about the cannabis industry. Through the power of information, scientists have discovered medical breakthroughs involving marijuana. Researchers have gotten a better grasp on the effects of ingesting different doses of cannabis in different ways. This has led to better results for medical patients as well a better understanding for how to safely consume recreational marijuana. Now that experts are learning more about other aspects of the marijuana industry, pesticides and their health and environmental impact are no different. Topics covered in the training include operator identification numbers, pesticide use reporting, private applicator certificates, employer requirements, worker health and safety, and understanding pesticide labels.

In Riverside County, nine cities currently permit both recreational and medical commercial grow operations: Blythe, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and San Jacinto. Perris allows commercial grows, but only for medical marijuana.

As our Riverside marijuana cultivation lawyers know, pesticides are just one part of a more complicated web of regulations and guidelines necessary for cultivators to operate in compliance. Cultivators must be in compliance with waste disposal regulations, including pesticides, herbicides, irrigation runoff, soil disposal, erosion control, drainage features, chemicals, etc. They must use weighing and measuring devices that meet strict standards. Indoor grows must follow numerous building regulations. Even matters of water supply are under tight scrutiny, such as water suppliers, water diversion, irrigation, groundwater extraction, water discharge, with oversight coming from the Department of Fish and Wildlife and State Water Resources Control Board. Our skilled lawyers can guide your cultivation business through all of these issues and much more.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients, defendants, workers and those facing criminal marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

What Are the Marijuana Laws in Your California City?, Jan. 3, 2018, Orange County Register

More Blog Entries:

Cannabis Cultivators Scouring Legal Ways to Grow, Feb. 4, 2017, Cannabis Law Group

Specifically, they want to start growing marijuana and hemp. They already have the land. They have the skill. They have most of the tools. They argue the best people to grow and cultivate legal marijuana are the people whose families have been farming the region for the better part of the last century.

Unfortunately, their hopes are counter to what the county’s Board of Supervisors may have in mind. The county is looking to possibly outlaw local marijuana cultivation, or else leave it solely up to licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. Both of these approaches cut independent farmers out of this equation entirely.

The State of California recently passed to laws that map out a legal path for outdoor farming of commercial cannabis. State regulators are scheduled to begin doling out licenses to cultivate and distribute recreational marijuana starting in January 2018. These new laws – the Adult Use of Marijuana Act passed in November and the Medical Cannabis Regulation Safety Act of 2015 – require that farms first receive approval for zoning from their local governing body before they can apply for a marijuana license from the state. If a farm doesn’t have a local permit, they can’t get permission from the state to grow the drug, which is imperative if they want to stay on the right side of the law and avoid any federal intervention. Abiding by the state guidelines is the best protection one may have to sidestep federal sanctions, given that the drug still has a Schedule I designation from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The process of getting local approval, though, is mired in bureaucracy and local politics. As of right now, no communities in the San Diego region at least have granted permission for an outdoor cannabis farm. A number of cities outside of that region are scrambling to jump on the bandwagon, recognizing the potential gain in the estimated $7 billion industry.

Support of marijuana farming is one of the best ways for communities to reap the benefits without worrying about some of the other risks that can be involved. Farmers are typically discrete. Their operations are run cleanly and their sales model is business-to-business, which means there aren’t any direct sales to the general public. Perhaps the most attractive element of it is that it garners tens of millions of dollars for local communities in state and local taxes.

For sure, farmers see profits, but there are benefits to the entire community by supporting their endeavors. It’s expected that by 2020, marijuana sales in California will exceed $7 billion, which means there is $1 billion in annual tax and licensing fees that are at stake for the public. Those communities that support legal marijuana are going to be able to take home a larger slice of that pie – for public safety, for schools and other critical services.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

Cannabis farmers seek legal way to grow, Jan. 11, 2017, By Anthony Wagner & Micah Anderson, San Diego Union Tribune

More Blog Entries:

“Where Can I Smoke Pot?” and Other Prop. 64 Questions, Dec. 30, 2016, L.A. Marijuana Lawyer Blog