Santa Barbara County to allow major cannabis farm

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Cannabis opponents lose their shot at preventing expansion

A massive cannabis greenhouse planned for Santa Barbara County in California was met with a certain degree of anti-cannabis posturing as critics attempted to block approval of the facility. They presented their case in front of the county’s Board of Supervisors this past Tuesday, only to learn that the board members were not sympathetic to their attempts. As a result, the Board of Supervisors will allow the 350,000-square-foot facility to proceed and those opposed to the idea will simply have to look the other way.

In a hearing held on the subject of the greenhouse this past Tuesday, opponents attempted to argue that the facility would violate California’s anti-smog regulations. Some critics, such as Maureen Claffey, had argued that oxides of nitrogen (NOx) would combine with cannabis terpenes, resulting in the creation of volatile organic compounds, a precursor to smog. The Board of Supervisors scoffed.

The critics then tried to argue that the greenhouse project would produce odors that are unwelcome. Claffey asserted that three current facilities emit odors that are “intense and overwhelming” and that they are masked by a mist of essential oils mixed with water that is sprayed from pipes running around the eaves of the greenhouses.  The odors and the mist, she said, are health risks. The Board of Supervisors scoffed once again.

Board Supervisor Steve Lavagnino was able to counter the odor complaint directly. He said that he spent two days visiting the backroads of Carpinteria in an effort to determine if the smell was as bad as some have claimed and, with the exception of just a one-quarter-mile section of road, he had no problems.

As a result, the Board of Supervisors unanimously shot down all of the critics’ attempts to stop progress, 5-0. The greenhouse will continue as planned and opponents will have to find a new target.