New Santa Barbara County Cannabis Project Survives Appeal

The battle over growing cannabis in Santa Barbara County this time pit a coalition of residents and vintners against Castlerock Family Farms LLC in the Santa Ynez Valley. The Santa Barbara Coalition for Responsible Cannabis appealed the Planning Commission’s approval of the project to the Board of Supervisors, but it was denied 4-1 on October 6, with Supervisor Peter Adam voting against.

The grow itself is planned on a portion of the 600-acre Williams Ranch that has been leased to farmers for several decades. The acreage is roughly two miles west of Buellton at 2200 West Highway 246, next to a bend in the Santa Ynez River at its southernmost reaches and within shouting distance of the Sta. Rita Hills viticultural area. The closest tasting rooms are the Pence winery a half mile to the north of the site and the Peake Ranch winery a mile and a half to the south.