MENDOCINO Co., 8/31/21 — This spring, 6,239 Mendocino County residents expressed support for bringing a proposed referendum to voters that would reverse Mendocino County’s current cannabis cultivation permitting program. Now that 4,198 signatures have been verified by Registrar Katrina Bartolomie and staff, the referendum can be placed on a ballot.
Without additional action from the county supervisors, that election would happen in June, 2022 — but supervisors could decide to set a date for a special election sooner, or choose to adopt the referendum, Bartolomie explained. That item is expected to be on the agenda for the September 14, 2021 regular meeting.
Proponents of the referendum, called the “Save Our Water Wildlife and Way of Life,” (SOWWW), are calling for the reversal of the county’s new cannabis ordinance approved by four supervisors this spring — a set of regulations that will allow a significant expansion in the acreage per parcel on which the county will allow commercial cannabis cultivation.
Earlier this summer, a different group of residents also sought signatures for another potential referendum, called “Small is Beautiful,” which would have removed the specific clause in the county’s cannabis regulations which allow for expanded cannabis gardens. However, that proposed referendum did not receive enough signatures to be submitted to the registrar.
Here’s our previous report on the cannabis referendum:
Hello Mendo Voice and Kate Maxwell! I wanted to share that when I read the first sentence of this article I felt very alarmed and confused by the language “reverse [the] current cannabis cultivation permitting program.” I interpreted that sentence as meaning the referendum would overrule the current 10A.17 ordinance/program. It became clear to me after reading the rest of the piece and the linked article that the referendum would not impact 10A.17, but only the newly approved land use ordinance. Just wanted to share that.
I deeply appreciate your publication and work!! Thank you for all you do.
Kristen Garringer, Cannabis Permitting/Licensing Consultant
(413) 329-9530
[email protected]