Pubdate: Tue, 05 Dec 2017
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2017 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Patrick McGreevy

LAWMAKERS SAY CALIFORNIA'S PROPOSED MARIJUANA RULES WILL HURT SMALL 
FAMILY FARMS

Two legislators called Tuesday for changes to regulations for growing
marijuana in California to better protect small family farmers from
being driven out of business by big corporate cultivators.

Initial proposals to cap licensed marijuana farms at one to four acres
were discarded by the state Department of Food and Agriculture, which
has since proposed new rules without any cap, according to a letter of
complaint to the agency by State Sen. Mike McGuire (D-San Rafael) and
Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg). McGuire and Wood support a
one-acre cap.

"We support the protection of small family cannabis farmers -- the
backbone of California's cannabis industry -- and are deeply concerned
that a lack of a cap on small cannabis cultivation permits is
undermining the desires of California voters expressed through
Proposition 64," the two lawmakers wrote, referring to the initiative
approved by voters last year to legalize recreational marijuana.

The legislators noted many of the small-farm operators are second-or
third-generation farmers along the North Coast.

"This last minute revision rolls out the red carpet for large
corporations to crush the livelihood of small family farmers who
should be given a fair chance to succeed in a regulated market," said
the letter to Richard Parrott, director of the Food and Agriculture
Department's CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Division.

Representatives for Parrott were not immediately available to comment
on the requested change.
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MAP posted-by: Matt