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County Administrator's Office

Sonoma County Cannabis Program

Transition Period & Penalty Relief

In order to encourage more participation in the Cannabis Program, and in response to public comments that the current deadline is insufficient to secure the necessary environmental studies, reports, and architectural plans required, the Board of Supervisors modified and extended the Penalty Relief Program on September 12, 2017.

This extension provides operators on permit eligible parcels additional time to meet the standards created by the Cannabis Land Use Ordinance adopted December 20, 2016.  In order to obtain penalty relief, cannabis businesses are required to submit the one-page penalty relief application form by October 31, 2017.

The extension of the Penalty Relief Program does not include an extension for operators on non-permit eligible parcels such as Agriculture and Residential District (AR) and Rural Residential District (RR) zoned properties. Cannabis businesses on these properties must cease all operations by January 1, 2018, as provided for in the original Penalty Relief Program.