Emerald Triangle Update: Humboldt County, California (Finally) 'Robustly Regulates' MMJ Operations

If you’re cultivating or plan to cultivate in Humboldt, take a deep breath and get ready to embrace robust regulation, and fast.

Hilary Bricken

Hilary Bricken

Since passage of California’s Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (“MMRSA“), some California cities and counties have already started to make their own local laws in response. Humboldt County, one of three counties in the legendary Emerald Triangle, is making significant strides towards robust MMJ regulation in anticipation of MMRSA’s implementation.

Humboldt has a long history of back and forth with its growers and its local regulations. As of 2004, Humboldt had no specific regulations governing cultivating or dispensing in its unincorporated areas. All the county had was an ordinance implementing Proposition 215 and Senate Bill 420 regarding possession amounts and patient limitations that really only served to assist law enforcement in how to identify illegal operations. Since 2004, the county has gone back and forth on medical marijuana regulation and prohibition.

But the county’s ambivalence over local MMJ regulation is finally over and this is a big deal since cannabis farms make up a large part of the county’s overall economy. In a four phase roll out, Humboldt has finally adopted robust regulations over its growers and collectives. In Phase 1 and 2 (October 2014), the county regulated indoor and outdoor personal use cultivation. Phase 3 (August 2015) covered regulation of dispensaries/collectives (changing direction from a three year ban). And Phase 4 (finally in January 2016), the Commercial Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance (CMMLUO), covers commercial cultivation of cannabis in the county.

The CMMLUO is a very comprehensive piece of local legislation, covering zoning of and permitting for commercial cultivation (indoor, outdoor, and mixed-light), processing, manufacturing, and wholesale distributing of cannabis for medical use in the county’s inland and coastal zones. The ordinance even has provisions permitting medical cannabis nurseries and also contemplating “Humboldt Artisanal Branding” for some growers.

Depending on your zone, the size of your property or your grow or your commercial facility, and whether you are an existing or a new grower (based on whether you were operating before January 1, 2016), you will need to obtain a variety of permits, licenses, and certificates for special use, use, conditional use, zoning clearance, and coastal development. Humboldt County now also has mandatory property setbacks from all property lines and from other designated sensitive uses that differ between the inland to coastal zone. Lastly, all permitting applications and supplemental information are due to the county by no later than December 31, 2016.

All applicants seeking to operate any sort of legal cannabis business within Humboldt County will by the end of this year need to have submitted the following items to the county:

Sponsored

  • The name, contact address, and phone number(s) of the applicant.
  • If the applicant is not the record title owner of the parcel on which the cannabis business will be operating, a notarized written consent from the property owner for the application.
  • A site plan showing the entire parcel, including easements, streams, springs, ponds, and other surface water features, and the location and area for cultivation on the parcel with dimensions of the area for cultivation and setbacks from property lines. The site plan shall also include all areas of ground disturbance or surface water disturbance associated with cultivation activities, including: access roads, water diversions, culverts, ponds, dams, graded flats, and other related features. The site plan also has to show the mandatory property setbacks depending on whether you’re in the inland or coastal zone.
  • A cultivation and operations plan that meets or exceeds minimum legal standards for water storage, conservation and use; drainage, runoff and erosion control; watershed and habitat protection; and proper use and storage of fertilizers, pesticides, and other regulated products to be used on the parcel, and a description of cultivation activities (outdoor, indoor, mixed light), the approximate date(s) cannabis cultivation activities have been conducted on the parcel prior to the effective date of this ordinance, if applicable; and a schedule of activities during each month of the growing and harvesting season. The operations plan shall also include a security plan describing measures to be taken to ensure the security of the medical marijuana and to safeguard against the diversion of medical marijuana for non-medical purposes, or access by minors.
  • A copy of the statement of water diversion, or other permit, license, or registration filed with the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights, if applicable.
  • A description of water source, storage, irrigation plan, and projected water usage.
  • If applicable, a copy of a Notice of Intent and Monitoring Self-Certification and other documents filed with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board demonstrating enrollment in Tier 1, 2, or 3, North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board Order No. 2015-0023, or any substantially equivalent rule that may be subsequently adopted by the County of Humboldt or other responsible agency.
  • If any on-site or off-site component of the cultivation facility, including access roads, water supply, grading or terracing impacts the bed or bank of any stream or other watercourse, a copy of the Streambed Alteration Permit obtained from the Department of Fish & Wildlife.
  • If the source of water is a well, a copy of the County well permit, if applicable.
  • If the parcel is zoned TC or TPZ, or involves the conversion of timberland as defined under section 4526 of the Public Resources Code, a copy of a less-than-3-acre conversion exemption or timberland conversion permit, approved by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL-FIRE). Alternately, for existing operations occupying sites created through prior unauthorized conversion of timberland, evidence may be provided showing that the landowner has completed a civil or criminal process and/or entered into a negotiated settlement with CAL-FIRE.
  • Consent for onsite inspection of the parcel by County officials at prearranged date and time in consultation with the applicant prior to issuance of any clearance or permit, and once annually thereafter.
  • For indoor cultivation facilities, identify the source of electrical power and how it will meet with the energy requirements in the CMMLUO, and plan for compliance with applicable Building Codes.
  • At the time of the application for a cultivation permit, all cultivators must also include a Processing Plan with all of the following:
    • Summary of Processing Practices.
    • Description of location where processing will occur.
    • Estimated number of employees, if any.
    • Summary of Employee Safety Practices.
    • Description of toilet and handwashing facilities.
    • Description of plumbing and/or septic system and whether or not the system is capable of handling increased usage.
    • Description of source of drinking water for employees.
    • Description of increased road use resulting from processing and a plan to minimize that impact.
    • Description of on-site housing, if any.

All of the foregoing is in addition to eventually securing the appropriate licenses from the state under the MMRSA if you want to continue to operate in the county. And cultivation sites operating before January 1, 2016, must pre-register with the county by this summer to be considered a priority status applicant with the county and eventually with the state under the MMRSA. We’ve been in touch with the county on behalf of our Humboldt clients and the permitting and cultivator applications will not be available until at least February 19th.

So, if you’re cultivating or plan to cultivate in Humboldt, take a deep breath and get ready to embrace robust regulation, and fast. Things have definitely changed in Humboldt County.


Hilary Bricken is an attorney at Harris Moure, PLLC in Seattle and she chairs the firm’s Canna Law Group. Her practice consists of representing marijuana businesses of all sizes in multiple states on matters relating to licensing, corporate formation and contracts, commercial litigation, and intellectual property. Named one of the 100 most influential people in the cannabis industry in 2014, Hilary is also lead editor of the Canna Law Blog. You can reach her by email at hilary@harrismoure.com.

Sponsored