An initiative to significantly restrict marijuana cultivation in Humboldt County, California has been overwhelmingly rejected by voters.
73% of voters opposed Measure A, the Humboldt Cannabis Reform Initiative, in finalized results from Tuesday’s election. The measure would have placed a number of restrictions and limitation on marijuana growers.
Specifically, the proposal would have:
- Capped the size of marijuana farms at 10,000 square feet.
- Require public hearings for all grow operations larger than 3,000 square feet.
- Limit farm locations to locations that have two-way roads with speeds of 25-40 mph.
- Restrict noncompliant farms from expanding.
Humboldt County is part of California’s famed Emerald Triangle, and has long been considered one of the premier locations to grow marijuana in the US.
An analysis of the initiative found that it would make hundreds of currently licensed marijuana farms no longer compliant, causing them to significantly downsize or close altogether.
“[Measure A] has been presented to preclude new large scale grows, but it will actually prevent existing permit holders, regardless of size, from being able to modify their permits to adapt to the evolving cannabis market and make strides towards greater environmental sustainability… [Measure A] will have dire consequences to the cannabis industry in Humboldt”, states a Humboldt Planning Department Analysis of Measure A.
