Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued the following statement today following the Board of Supervisors’ approval of a resolution that places a proposed ordinance for a general tax on cannabis businesses in the County’s unincorporated communities for approval by voters on the November 8, 2022 election ballot:
“I want to clarify that today’s action does not mean that outdoor grows will be allowed. Our Board has taken a series of proactive steps to regulate cannabis businesses in unincorporated areas. The approach we’ve adopted will equitably distribute legal cannabis businesses in each supervisorial district and specifies that cannabis cultivation will only be permitted indoors – not outdoors in greenhouses.
Our Board must be clear: we will not tolerate illegal cannabis operations. Growers who operate illegally undermine our efforts to create a regulated and responsible cannabis industry, and often do so at the expense of the rural communities I represent. I’m firmly committed to upholding the law and will corral all available resources to enhance enforcement and abatement efforts.
In 2017, our Board of Supervisors made a commitment to regulate the cannabis industry in our County in a way that balances equity and responsibility. Today’s Board action is another step to fulfill that promise by giving voters a chance to weigh in on cannabis taxation policy.”
The County’s legal cannabis framework that will define where and how cannabis businesses can operate is expected to be drafted and made public in 2023.