November 21, 2024
Will the New Cannabis Ordinance Threaten Your Neighborhood?
Last year, well-defined neighborhoods provided the County with descriptions and maps of their neighborhoods and asked for increased setbacks from cannabis cultivation. Why? Cannabis plants stink. The odor isn’t just obnoxious – it contains cancer causing chemicals. The current cannabis ordinance requires 100-foot setbacks to property lines and 300-foot setbacks from homes (The County's latest proposal is to remove the 300 foot setback requirement). Increased setbacks would offer protection from the noxious cannabis odors, noise, and traffic. Imagine having 3000 cannabis plants 300 feet from your bedroom window! Indoor cannabis can be cultivated right on your property line - there are no setbacks!
To protect themselves from the cannabis taint, many communities requested designation as “Exclusion Zones,” where cultivation would be prohibited, a notion which the County had suggested it would consider. In December 2023, Permit Sonoma proposed some “rural residential enclaves,” but ignored many neighborhood proposals claiming some were not “neighborhoods.” In other words, the County rejected these neighborhoods’ own view of themselves, instead substituting its own unwritten definition of “neighborhood.”
Fast forward four months to April 2024. Permit Sonoma discarded “rural residential enclaves,” ignoring significant feedback and input from neighborhood communities. In yet another twist, officials announced new setbacks to property lines of 100 feet or 600 feet depending on the zoning of the adjacent parcel. The County’s setback proposals were unsupported by any scientific basis. Making matters even worse, and again without explanation, the County also proposed reducing minimum parcel size from 10 to 5 acres. In other words, cannabis grows could be shoehorned into even smaller areas resulting in increased exposure to the cannabis stench. This is especially notable when you consider the fact residents have been subjected to cannabis odors at least one mile from a grow site.
Ironically, the County’s proposal would retain 1,000-foot setbacks to “sensitive uses” -- schools, churches, day care centers, parks and playgrounds. With that proposal, the County implicitly acknowledges the harms of the cannabis grows while highlighting the obvious question – why are homes and yards NOT considered sensitive use areas? Children spend more time at home than at school so why should they receive less protection at home from these noxious odors than they do at school?
ODOR MUST STOP AT THE PROPERTY LINE
County officials claim the new setbacks will “balance competing priorities of neighborhood compatibility while increasing economic opportunities for the industry.” Is there any equation in which the failing cannabis industry’s economics should outweigh the health of residents and neighborhoods? Public health has no place in a mathematical formula.
Science should determine whether outdoor cannabis cultivation is safe for residents and if it is permitted, scientific and objective measurements should determine what setbacks will protect residents in their homes, schools, churches, day care centers, parks and playgrounds. The harm and risks are the same to people regardless of their age or the zone they’re in. Setback figures must not be pulled out of the sky and set willy nilly. One size does not fit all. Setbacks should be determined scientifically by analyzing topography, wind conditions, and odor to avoid allowing carcinogenic odors to trespass.
A DYSTOPIAN FUTURE
If the Supervisors approve the newly revised setback proposals, there will be more dangers and neighborhood animosity about odor, noise, traffic, and other ills associated with cannabis cultivation. Cannabis cultivation threatens the very essence of our county’s beautiful, peaceful rural character. If it’s lost, it can’t be recovered.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP US RESIST THE COUNTY’S HAZARDOUS PROPOSALS
Take action - DONATE TODAY.
This is the time to act. Time is of the essence. Join us in raising our community voice to respond to the County’s ever-changing and thoughtless proposals. We need your political and financial support to be sure these proposals are not adopted.
Your tax-deductible donation will fund technical experts, research, and legal expenses that are critical to our effort to require the County protect our environment, children, and the health and safety of our neighborhoods. New research, health studies and economic trends identify viable options. Our goal is to enlighten and persuade public decision-makers to make better choices.
The Neighborhood Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, volunteer-based, dedicated to advocating for proper cannabis and land-use policies that benefit the community. All donations support these efforts.
You can also mail a check to:
Sonoma Neighborhood Coalition
PO Box 1229
Sebastopol, CA 95473
Thank you for your support and donation.
The Neighborhood Coalition team