County Issues First Cannabis Business Permit

The County of Sonoma has issued the first Cannabis Cultivation Permit on Monday, December 4. Shannon and Cameron Hattan, co-founders of Fiddlers Greens, were issued a Zoning Permit from the Department of Ag Weights and Measures which allows up to 10,000 square feet of outdoor medical cannabis cultivation on their property outside of Sebastopol.

“As long time residents of Sonoma County, it is an honor to receive the first commercial cultivation permit,” said Shannon. “We are excited to be part of a community that is working with and supporting the local small farmers as we transition into a regulated market.” 

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Shirlee Zane explained “The County’s goals in permitting cannabis are to preserve our environmental resources, protect the health and safety of our communities, and ensure the industry contributes positively to the economic vitality of our County. This issuing of the first cultivation permit is an important step in bringing the industry into the regulated market.”

In December 2016, the Board of Supervisors adopted a series of ordinances to establish a comprehensive local permit program to regulate medical cannabis cultivators, nurseries, manufacturers, transporters, distributors, testing laboratories, and dispensaries. The county began accepting applications on July 5, 2017 and is currently processing 127 applications between the Department of Ag Weights and Measures and Permit Sonoma.

Ag Commissioner Tony Linegar noted that “The Department is excited to be issuing our first cultivation permit. The issuance of this first permit represents the culmination of nearly two years of work on developing policy and the permitting process. The applicants we are working with are eager to come into the legal market and have demonstrated patience and a willingness to comply with a complex set of requirements. We hope this offers hope and encouragement to those cultivators that have not yet applied for a permit.”

• For more information, please contact Sonoma County Cannabis Program Manager Tim Ricard, by phone at (707) 565-7257 or email at tim.ricard@sonoma-county.org.