Sun Shines on County Pot Biz
Supervisors Vote to Establish Registry to Bring Growers 'Out of the Shadows'
The Board of Supervisors meeting on recreational pot was so confusing it lasted two and a half hours longer than planned. But it wasn’t because everyone was stoned. The Santa Maria hearing room was packed with consummate professionals, County Supervisor Steve Lavagnino noted, decidedly not characters from Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Some marijuana growers in Santa Barbara County have been urging officials to establish a local regulatory framework so they can apply for state licenses when regulators start issuing them next January. To be eligible, growers must provide a form of authorization from their local jurisdictions.
If county officials failed to provide such or dragged their feet, growers said, they would be out of luck. They explained they would be less competitive with other places — a shame considering the area’s plush sunlight makes cannabis grow like weeds.
