Sonoma County Cannabis Program
Cannabis Program Update: Board of Supervisors Hearing - October 28, 2025
On October 28, 2025, at or after 1:30 PM in the Board of Supervisors Chambers located at 575 Administration Drive in Santa Rosa, the Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing to consider the Cannabis Program Update.
Permit Sonoma staff have proposed a comprehensive update to the County’s Cannabis Program, including amendments to the County’s General Plan, zoning ordinance, and Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves, as well as a new cannabis business license program. The proposed update simplifies permitting, aims to treat cannabis cultivation more closely with traditional agriculture, permits cannabis supply chain uses consistent with comparable non-cannabis activities, and strengthens environmental protections in both rural and industrial areas.
The County has prepared a Final EIR pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) which the Board will consider when deliberating adoption of the Cannabis Program Update.
Comments can be emailed to cannabis@sonomacounty.gov or sent to: Crystal Acker, Permit Sonoma, 2550 Ventura Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.
Visit the Cannabis Program Update & EIR webpage for more information.
Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) now available
The County has prepared a Final EIR pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) made available to the public on September 3, 2025. An Errata to the Final EIR was made available to the public on October 22, 2025. The County will consider this information when deliberating adoption of the Cannabis Program Update. Following certification of the Final EIR and adoption of the Cannabis Program Update, subsequent proposed cannabis projects may rely on the EIR for CEQA compliance and/or tiering.
Link to Final Environmental Impact Report, Appendices, and Errata (SoCoCloud link)
Cannabis Business Tax Ordinance Update
On May 6, 2025, the Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 6515 amending the Cannabis Business Tax Ordinance (Chapter 35 of the Sonoma County Code). This ordinance amended the cannabis cultivation tax rates; other cannabis business tax rates remain the same.
- New tax rates effective July 1, 2025:
- Cultivation:
- Outdoor: $0.36 per square foot
- Mixed-light: $1.15 per square foot
- Indoor: $3.00 per square foot
- Cultivation:
Multi-Tenant Ordinance Update
On June 6, 2023 the Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance 6436 amending the Cannabis Land Use Ordinance. The ordinance permanently amends the multi-tenant provision in Section 26-88-250(f)(2) to only allow ministerial review of smaller-scale multi-tenant cannabis cultivation permits.
Section 26-88-254(f)(2) has been amended to read as follows:
Multi-Tenant Operations. Multiple zoning permits may be issued on a single parcel provided that the aggregate cultivation area does not require a use permit per Table 1 A-D Allowed Cannabis Uses and Permit Requirements.
This change was previously established by Urgency Ordinance 6354 on September 21, 2021 and extended by Urgency Ordinance 6356 on October 26, 2021, until September 10, 2023.
Revised Department of Cannabis Control Regulations
On November 10, 2022, the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) announced the adoption of new regulations. Among the changes is a revised definition of outdoor cultivation to include light deprivation as an allowable activity.
Although the definition of outdoor cultivation has changed at the state level, the County's definitions remain unchanged and in effect. As such, conducting light deprivation continues to require a local permit for mixed-light cultivation. The County cannot pursue any interim ordinance updates (including changes to definitions) related to the current comprehensive program update while that process is ongoing.
Below are the current County of Sonoma definitions of outdoor and mixed-light cultivation per Sec. 26-04-020:
- Cannabis Cultivation - Mixed-Light. Cannabis cultivation in a greenhouse or other similar structure using natural light, light deprivation, and/or any combination of natural and supplemental artificial lighting.
- Cannabis Cultivation - Outdoor. Cannabis cultivation using no artificial lighting conducted in the ground or in containers outdoors.
Read the new DCC regulations on the DCC website.
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