LOCAL & STATE POLICIES


SONOMA COUNTY POLICY

PROPOSED POLICY UPDATES

In July 2024, Permit Sonoma ("PRMD") announced that final draft of the proposed updates to Sonoma County's comprehensive cannabis policy are now available here:

https://share.sonoma-county.org/link/Xo4uCnnZMCw/

A FAQ document can be found here, and an updated timeline is located here.

You can submit your comments on the draft documents by email to:

Cannabis@sonoma-county.org

Or by mail to: 

Permit Sonoma 

ATTN: Cannabis Ordinance Update 

2550 Ventura Avenue 

Santa Rosa, CA 95403


The Draft EIR is scheduled to be published in January 2025, at which point a 45-day public comment period on the Draft EIR will be opened.

For more information about the Sonoma County Cannabis Program, please visit this page:

https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/county-administrators-office/projects/cannabis-program




CURRENT POLICY

On October 16, 2018, the County updated the Cannabis Ordinance which went into effect on November 15, 2018.

  • Part 1 had a limited scope focused on neighborhood compatibility issues and aligning the Ordinance with state law where appropriate.
  • Part 2 will include a more thorough review of neighborhood compatibility and other implementation efforts that require robust outreach and staff analysis.
  • UPDATE: The County has decided to move forward with an EIR for a new ordinance, which is expected to be finished in 2024. Learn more about that process here.

Adopted Ordinances and Other Important Links

EIR Process

Sonoma County is currently in the middle of a multi-year EIR process that will ultimately result in a new comprehensive cannabis ordinance. We are engaging with the County and the planning consulting firm preparing the EIR to ensure that voices of local operators are listened to, and to prevent the new ordinance from being more restrictive than the current one.  

Learn more about the EIR process here.

CALIFORNIA STATE POLICY

  • California passed legislation in 2016 to establish Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA).
  • Citizens of California passed Prop 64 to include Adult Use cannabis marketplace, of which Sonoma County voted 59% in favor.
  • The California legislature passed a bill in June 2017 that integrated MCRSA with AUMA to create the Medicinal and Adult‐Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA). Under MAUCRSA, a single regulatory system governs the medical and adult use cannabis industry in California.
  • In 2018, regulations were published by California’s initial three cannabis licensing agencies (the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Department of Food & Agriculture's CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Branch, and the Department of Public Health's Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch).
  • In 2021, these three agencies were combined into one agency to license and regulate cannabis businesses in California: the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC).
  • The California Department of Tax & Fee Administration (CDTFA) oversees cannabis tax policy in California.
  • State law imposes a percentage-based excise tax on retail sales of cannabis and cannabis products. Previously, state law also imposed a weight-based tax on cultivation, but this was eliminated in 2022. Many cities and counties also impose a special cannabis tax. Sales and use taxes apply to cannabis transactions unless an exemption exists.
  • Local jurisdictions are free to set their own rules and restrictions regarding cannabis businesses, including banning them if they choose, though there are some limits on this when it comes to delivery of medical cannabis.


State Links:


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