San Andreas, CA…The implementation of the commercial cannabis cultivation ban adopted by the Board of Supervisors in January 2018 is set to begin on Friday, March 9, 2018. The ordinance, which bans all commercial cannabis cultivation and limits and regulates personal cultivation of up to six plants (per State law), was posted in the paper on February 7, 2018, and under California law, takes effect 30 days after posting. Based on the provisions in the cannabis urgency ordinance and the ban, growers have 90 days from the effective date of the ban ordinance to come into compliance with the new law. All cultivation except for registered personal use, must cease after June 7, 2018.

During the 90-day period, the provisions of the urgency ordinance continue as referenced in the ban, and registered growers are able to continue cultivating. If a grower’s application was in pending status, the County will continue processing registration applications. Following the 90-day period, all cultivation areas must be restored or remediated as required by the ban ordinance by January 10, 2020. For example, any non-permitted grading or construction must be permitted or removed, trash and debris from the grow sites must be removed, and erosion control measures must be installed.

Questions regarding what is permissible during the 90-day period, what the requirements are for remediating a cultivation site, and what is allowable for a personal cannabis grow may be directed to the Calaveras County Planning Department. An FAQ list may also be found on the Planning Department’s cannabis website, https://cannabis.calaverasgov.us/.

Other inquires may be directed to the County PIO, Timothy Lutz, at 209-754-6025.