Andy asks No on A — Humboldt County Growers Alliance…
2,000 More Farms
When the proponents of the Yes on A campaign talk about, “2,000 more cannabis farms in Humboldt?” what do they mean?
— Andy
Response
No on A — Humboldt County Growers Alliance
The proponents of Measure A are demonstrating their lack of understanding of existing county policy to create fear. The County does not have a plan to permit 2,000 more cannabis farms. Yet, the proponents continue to march out this talking point and, during signature gatherings, used misleading maps to scare people into thinking there is a new Green Rush on the horizon.
Measure A’s supporters refer to “County Resolution 18-43” from 2018, which established limits on the number of allowable permits in the county under the Environmental Impact Report for the second cannabis land use ordinance. Resolution 18-43 was established almost six years ago to accommodate as many pre-existing (legacy) farms as possible, aligning with estimates from 2015 suggesting up to 15,000 individual grow sites.
By the end of 2016, around 2,400 people had signed up to become legal. The county’s environmental analysis adhered to legal requirements, specifically the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which mandates an assessment of the environmental impact under a maximum potential build-out scenario.
As of 2024, there are approximately 1,100 cannabis permits held by around 775 farmers, covering about 350 acres of cultivation, equivalent to 0.54 square miles (the size of Myrtletown). According to the Planning Department, “submittal of applications for new cultivation under the current market conditions has effectively ceased.” There is a Green Exodus, not a Green Rush. In the last eight years, overall cannabis cultivation in Humboldt has dropped by 89%.
The county already prohibits new cultivation in thirteen “impacted watersheds.” It only allows a maximum of 1 acre of cultivation on most agriculturally zoned land. On agriculturally zoned properties over 320 acres, a maximum of eight acres are allowed (at a maximum of ten project sites). 98% of all cannabis cultivation in Humboldt County does not meet the state of California’s definition of “large.”
If the proponent’s goal were to reduce the maximum number of allowable cultivation permits, Measure A could have been one page long. Instead, it’s 38 pages that directly impact existing legal farms of all sizes, imposing new and unworkable restrictions, prohibitions, and requirements. On top of that, Measure A closes the door for small farms by capping the total number of permits in the county well below current levels, preventing even the smallest 2,000-square-foot homestead cultivation sites from becoming legal.
Yes, the county can reduce the number and size of allowable cultivation (Resolution 18-43) through a public process. Measure A is not the way.
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