The L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday a resolution for a proposed ordinance that would place a general tax on cannabis businesses in unincorporated areas of the county.
The ordinance is set to be presented to county voters on the Nov. 8 election ballot, according to the language in the motion.
“I want to clarify that today’s action does not mean that outdoor grows will be allowed,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger in a statement sent out on Tuesday. “Our board has taken a series of proactive steps to regulate cannabis businesses in unincorporated areas.
“The approach we’ve adopted will equitably distribute legal cannabis businesses in each supervisorial district and specifies that cannabis cultivation will only be permitted indoors – not outdoors in greenhouses.”
Barger went on to say that the county will continue to not tolerate illegal grows, and said that illegal grows often harm the rural communities that she represents.
“In 2017, our Board of Supervisors made a commitment to regulate the cannabis industry in our county in a way that balances equity and responsibility,” Barger said. “Today’s board action is another step to fulfill that promise by giving voters a chance to weigh in on cannabis taxation policy.”
The county’s legal cannabis framework that will define where and how cannabis businesses can operate is expected to be drafted and made public in 2023.
