County Shuts Down Large-Scale Illegal Cannabis Operation

On July 12, County inspectors found more than 9,000 unpermitted cannabis plants at a property located on Butler Avenue, Santa Rosa. Permit Sonoma, authorized by an inspection warrant, arrived on site just after 8:30am with assistance from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to the plants, inspectors also discovered a hash oil lab on the property. The County’s HazMat team arrived to evaluate the scene, and the Sheriff’s Office handled the removal of the cannabis plants.

This 5-acre property is located in the unincorporated area of Sonoma County. It is zoned as an Agriculture and Residential District, a zone that is prohibited by the County Cannabis Ordinance from commercial cannabis cultivation.  This property has a history of code enforcement violations dating back to 2017. In August 2017, the property owner received violation notices for unpermitted greenhouses, cargo containers, and cannabis cultivation. A site visit in February 2018 revealed that there was no cannabis cultivation on the site at that time. Today’s inspection was a follow-up to determine whether the code violations had been resolved.

Yesterday’s enforcement actions mark the latest in the County’s work to crack down on illegal cannabis activity.  In the last two years Permit Sonoma has shut down 863 cannabis sites.  In the last two months the department has responded to 115 sites. To report a possible cannabis violation, please call (707) 565-1992.

• To learn more about the County’s Code Enforcement program, visit: sonomacounty.ca.gov/PermitSonoma/CodeEnforcement]sonomacounty.ca.gov/PermitSonoma/CodeEnforcement