WILLITS, CA., 3/22/25 – Mendocino County’s Economic Development Division will hold a cannabis sector meeting Thursday in Willits to discuss how small growers can compete in a market dominated by large-scale growers and decreasing prices.
The meeting invites growers, dispensary employees and other community members to come together and identify the issues they are facing in the cannabis industry. Representatives from the county economic development department, planning and building services, and the cannabis department, will attend.
“We want to demonstrate that there is a partnership, that our local government is looking to be part of solutions and listen to people,” said Steve Amato, president of the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, a nonprofit organization that supports and helps grow cannabis businesses in the county. “We want to determine what is obtainable and maybe work towards peeling back some of the red tape that other industries haven’t incurred.”
Amato explained that more community input is needed for elected officials to understand what the industry requires to continue operating.
“At this meeting, I am hoping we can start a better relationship to move forward,” he said. “Rather than the cannabis people feeling like the government is out to get them, we want to work more on a partnership. We want to build that bridge.”
The meeting is open to the public and takes place Thursday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Willits City Hall Community Center, 111 E. Commercial St., Willits. A virtual option is also available. However, virtual attendance is for observation only, and questions will not be allowed.
There is also a survey available for people who want to give input on creating a sustainable cannabis industry. Access that survey here.
I wonder how many in this county spent their savings trying to comply with everything from remediating environmental concerns that predated them to paying what for about two years were the legions of consultants that promised easing access to the licenses that never materialized. Now that they are out of business the county acts like they need more information on what they should do to create a better system? Obviously they have not been listening or paying any kind of attention otherwise they would know exactly what peoples concerns amounted to.
The whole thing is screwed, mendocino county still wants a minimum cultivation tax $2500 for 10k square feet. Nobody other industry pays this tax. Try taxing hotels a minimum fee under the Tot tax. Or try taxing grape growers a minimum tax per squarefoot, they would just pack it up and leave.
Then the county will assess any hoophouses at $5k a piece and add it to your property tax bill, if you try to ask any questions they will railroad you and treat you like trash, even if you build them yourself they still assess the value as if a contractor built them. Then they say because of inflation the price actually never depreciates, the only way out is to pay for a demolition permit.
Scale permits for cannabis are way higher then any other crop.
$22.6 million grant for cannabis licensing from the State ($5 million for administration alone) plus approx. $20 million in cannabis industry Planning and Building permitting fees gets you a designated tax pay window at the accessor’s ofc. but not much else to show for it. Wonder how lucrative the $150 million new court house construction project will be for some?