Industrial hemp essentially banned in SLO County, Farm Bureau says
From the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau:
–On Tuesday, May 5, San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to enact severe restrictions on industrial hemp cultivation in SLO County. Only Supervisor Bruce Gibson voted against the ordinance. The nearly four-hour-long discussion resulted in significant revisions to the public hearing draft that had been presented to the public.
New restrictions on industrial hemp include:
- 400 acre site minimum for outdoor cultivation,
- 5 acre site minimum for indoor cultivation,
- 1 mile setback from Village and Urban Reserve Lines,
- 2,000 foot setback from property lines,
- No exceptions can be granted through a Minor Use Permit,
- Outdoor grows are limited to Ag and Rural Lands land use categories,
- Cannot be grown in hoop houses (other crops are still allowed),
- Only hemp transplants inside a greenhouse can be grown in the Residential Rural land use category (immature plants with no odor), and
- Hemp cannot be grown in the Edna Valley American Viticulture Area.
While the board’s findings stated “the proposed amendments to not constitute a de-facto prohibition” on hemp cultivation,” there are now very few sites in the county where hemp can be grown. For example, if someone has a 400-acre square site, the new restrictions would allow hemp to be grown on less than one acre in the middle of the farm.
Watch video of the May 5 meeting (hemp is Agenda Item 22) by clicking here. Read comments submitted by SLO County Farm Bureau by clicking here.
