Amid Pot Glut on the Market, Santa Barbara Supes Back Stiffer Tax Penalties

Against a backdrop of sinking cannabis tax revenues, the County Board of Supervisors took steps this month to get tough with growers who fail to report their revenues from cultivation or pay their quarterly taxes on time.

At a June 6 hearing, the board unanimously proposed that the county should not renew the business licenses of growers who miss even one quarterly deadline for tax reporting. The deadlines include a 30-day grace period. Since business licenses are valid for one year only, late filers would eventually be forced to shut down.

To date, the county has never failed to renew a single cannabis business license. The supervisors are set to vote on an amendment to the county’s 2018 cannabis ordinance on a first reading on June 27 in Santa Maria.