California’s marijuana regulatory agency has cleared a huge administrative barrier that has prevented hundreds of cannabis growers in Mendocino County from securing annual licenses.
The state’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) on Thursday said it certified an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in the county, home to more than 500 cultivators.
The vast majority of the growers have been operating under a provisional license for years.
Provisional licenses essentially provide a path for businesses to continue operations and maintain state compliance while they apply for more permanent annual permits.
The EIR certification will allow these growers to transition to annual licenses before some key deadlines.
The DCC is prohibited from renewing provisional licenses at the end of the year, and all licensed businesses must transition into annual permit holders by January 2026.
“Our goal has always been clear: to support those who helped build California’s cannabis industry through a licensing program that is environmentally conscious and legally sound,” DCC Director Nicole Elliott said in a statement.
“With the EIR certified, we’re one step closer to keeping Mendocino’s pioneering cannabis spirit alive.”
An EIR, which documents environmental impacts on site-specific reviews, often requires land users to initiate lengthy and costly studies on potential and real impacts.
They are mandated under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) – which has been one of the greatest barriers for small farmers, particularly in the famed Emerald Triangle – to overcome because state approvals typically take years and significant financial resources.
In Mendocino County, most cannabis cultivators have struggled to become CEQA compliant because the county rolled out its marijuana program before the state established its licensing system, the Cannabis Business Times reported.