The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decided to revisit its “death penalty tax” on cannabis businesses to give operators more time to file their taxes and the treasurer-tax collector more time to process the filings. The supervisors unanimously voted on June 27 to require cannabis operators to file their quarterly taxes within a 30-day […]
Cannabis Corner
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County Planning Commission rejects appeal of Calynx cannabis cultivation
An appeal filed against the Calynx cannabis project in Cat Canyon was recently shot down by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission. Lisa Bugrova, of The Lise Consulting, spoke at the Planning Commission’s June 28 meeting on behalf of the applicant Lawrence Epstein, whose proposed 2.52 acre cannabis operation was approved by the county last […]
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County to implement ‘death penalty’ for late cannabis tax payment
Cannabis businesses that don’t pay their quarterly taxes or file the accompanying report within the 30-day grace period could lose their license to operate in Santa Barbara County starting in August. “It’s that severe,” Deputy County Executive Officer Brittany Odermann told the Board of Supervisors on June 27. “You are late. … You cannot renew.” […]
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Guadalupe City Council green-lights upcoming cannabis dispensary
A cannabis retailer’s plan to open a new storefront in Guadalupe is moving forward with a conditional use permit. Members of the Guadalupe City Council voted unanimously to grant Element 7, a California-based dispensary chain with shops in eight cities across the state, the permit during a public hearing on May 23. The only condition […]
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County cannabis tax revenue $10 million less than projected
Santa Barbara County collected $3.1 million in cannabis cultivation and retail taxes through the second fiscal quarter, $10.5 million less than the original projections of $23 million. “There’s been a decline in gross sales receipts, there has been a significant drop in wholesale pricing, and there’s a severe supply glut—there’s too much product in California […]
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County Planning Commission denies appeal of Cat Canyon cannabis project
An appeal filed against a cannabis cultivation project—with a proposed site in the Cat Canyon area—recently met with unanimous denial from the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission. Despite county staff’s recommendations to reject the appeal, some Planning Commissioners were initially reluctant to deny the request, during deliberations at the Planning Commission’s Jan. 25 meeting. The […]
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Cannabis’ stinky growing season is coming again in Lompoc, and the county should care
The stench of cannabis from county-permitted grows east of Lompoc and other areas of the county will soon return. Spring is just around the corner, and if the history of this industry is any indicator, those grows will continue to pollute our air with their skunk odor for weeks that never seem to end as […]
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County greenlights 60-acre cannabis cultivation near Orcutt
After two hours of deliberation, one Santa Barbara County planning commissioner stood firm about denying a local grower’s cannabis permit, which would have otherwise been approved unanimously. “We’ve succeeded in extending our one case to the same length as three others,” Planning Commissioner C. Michael Cooney said near the end of the Planning Commission’s Oct. […]
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Guadalupe discusses eligibility list for denied cannabis applications
The SLO Cal Roots and Element 7 cannabis dispensaries will eventually open their doors in Guadalupe, filling the city’s two permit spots after a 4-1 approval at an Aug. 16 City Council special meeting. Element 7 was originally given a permit slot on April 26 with a 3-0 vote, but the council decided to have […]
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County Planning Commission greenlights Dr. Greenthumb’s Orcutt cannabis shop
Parking concerns, traffic safety issues, and the lyrics to Cypress Hill’s “Dr. Greenthumb” were included in an appeal to overturn the Santa Barbara County planning director’s approval of the site for an upcoming cannabis dispensary in Orcutt. The appeal was submitted by a group of unnamed homeowners in the Cimarron Estates, a neighborhood near the […]
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County cannabis ordinance changes aim to mitigate odor
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decided to change permit requirements for cannabis cultivation permits, which will give decision makers like the board more say over projects and place additional requirements on cannabis businesses. The proposal would require commercial cannabis license applicants to obtain a conditional use permit, a permit that requires a public […]
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County struggles with unpredictable cannabis cultivation tax revenue
Santa Barbara County is anticipating a $6 million shortfall in the cannabis cultivation tax revenue it predicted for this fiscal year, thanks to an oversupply of wholesale cannabis in California and the resulting price decrease. “We overestimated revenues by almost 30 percent this year, and we don’t want to be in a position where there’s […]
