By Conversations about odor are prevalent in communities near cannabis cultivation operations, and Santa Barbara is no exception. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors recently met on April 23rd to discuss how to approach this issue and ultimately voted 3-2 to commission a study to evaluate further options. did.
according to santa barbara independentThere are several expensive technological devices, such as carbon filters (nicknamed “scrubbers”), that can potentially reduce cannabis aroma and ultimately prevent cannabis from being detected outside of your facility. . However, the scrubbers cost $22,000 each, and he would need one for every 10 acres to be effective. Santa Barbara County planners told the board it “could be cost-prohibitive,” with more fees for “electrical upgrades” to be factored in later.
Board President Steve Lavagnino and Supervisor Das Williams, who helped push Santa Barbara County’s 2018 cannabis ordinance, said it’s unfair to require cultivators to purchase such equipment. Supervisor Joan Hartman agreed, and the trio voted unanimously in favor of commissioning the six-month study.
Currently, only five of the 20 greenhouses in operation in the Carpinteria Valley, east of the city of Santa Barbara, have scrubbers.
The study will analyze “power upgrades that may be required prior to scrubber installation,” the researchers said. santa barbara independent. Hartman said he supports greenhouse scrubbers but would also like to see a solution to the cannabis aroma that comes from growing in sunlight. She argued that the odor that exists between Highway 246 and Santa Rosa Road, detectable in Buellton and Solvang (located northwest of Santa Barbara), needs to be addressed. “It’s a real disgrace to the public to not regulate the smell of cannabis for the most sensitive populations,” Hartman said. She says, “We need to know where we’re measuring odor, what tools we’re using to measure it, and what the limits are.”
The two supervisors who opposed the study included Bob Nelson and Laura Capps, who said they would like to see scrubbers required in all cannabis greenhouses. “My level of frustration has reached a point where I feel like I need to move something forward,” Nelson said. “…Sometimes we overplan.”
Capps also spoke about the need for scrubber output upgrades. “Is it our role to decide what companies can do?” she asked. Ms Capps said she concluded further research was not needed because “people continue to suffer”. “I don’t think we can do our job if we think too far into the future,” she continued. “…Who are we trying to serve? I don’t know what further research will bring us, other than more frustration from our neighbors.”
In response, Lavagnino supported the many local residents who have found jobs thanks to the cannabis industry. “A lot of people who are also our constituents work at these locations,” Lavagnino said. “That’s why it’s important when we talk about the cost of these facilities. People could lose their jobs.”
This study will specifically focus on three main areas where strong cannabis aromas are frequently detected. County planners utilize a device called the. nose rangerIt is possible to measure the strength of odor.
Carpinteria Valley locals have reported 3,700 odor complaints, none of which have been “verified” by the county because it is impossible to determine which greenhouse the scent is coming from. Not yet. Without verification, the county cannot make decisions that require scrubbers or other technological devices. “This doesn’t work,” Nelson said. “…it has not been successful at all.…Zero confirmed complaints is truly alarming. Additional planning and research is not the solution.” Nelson also said growers are not required to obtain cultivation licenses. He proposed that scrubbers should be mandatory from the time of renewal. “We can solve this problem and then this problem will no longer exist and we can stop having these hearings and these issues,” he added.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted as follows: February 2018 Allowing marijuana cultivation in unincorporated areas of the county. He said the commission has only issued one odor violation notice in the past six years since the ordinance was passed. Carpinteria Valley has 170 acres approved for cannabis cultivation, with approximately 116 acres currently in use.
Over the past 15 months, another odor technology that utilizes vegetable oils in spray systems has been reported to be working to mask odors. However, the odor did not disappear completely, and residents began to complain about the “coin laundry odor” caused by the mist.
At the April 23 meeting, numerous breeders spoke out and urged the board not to adopt a “one-size-fits-all” type of resolution. Tad McKenzie, co-president of Pacific Dutch Group, explained that producers are already taking steps to reduce odors. Improvements “are already being made and will continue to be made by carriers,” McKenzie said. “…spending valuable county resources on costly regulatory updates instead of continually improving compliance only makes market conditions more favorable for black market competitors who don’t pay taxes.” is.”
Another producer, Autumn Shelton of Autumn Brands, said being required to install scrubbers and other odor technology would make her business financially unviable. “Scrubbers are a really great idea, but when the market crashed just two years ago, it’s very difficult to recover from that and keep spending more,” Shelton said.
Towards the end of the meeting, Williams explained that producers need to keep working toward some sort of solution. “The longer anyone delays, the more burdensome the end result will be,” Williams said. “I hope there are clear warning signs that progress is needed…”
Nelson warned that something needs to change soon to address ongoing issues. “I see this as a problem that’s coming,” he said. “I would like to say again to this industry: Stay ahead of the curve. At some point, if you’re not ahead of the curve, you’re going to get hit by it at some point.”
