Yolo County Takes Steps Toward Recreational Marijuana Cultivation, Manufacturing

The Yolo County Board of Supervisors has approved several motions that allow the County to move toward legalization of recreational marijuana cultivation, manufacturing and sales.

Oscar Villegas, chairman of the board, says the legalization of cannabis at the state level requires a new look at the county level.

"When we sat here a year and a half ago and we put together the matrix, we made it very clear, we were not going to pursue manufacturing," Villegas says. "And, so here we are a year and a half later and we’ve shifted, right. And there’s nothing, other than the industry might be demanding it, we’ve not done further analysis of the impacts throughout the county.”   

Several people spoke in favor of permitting recreational cultivation, manufacturing and sales.

The supervisors approved a change to current code that says only medical marijuana cultivation is allowed and gave the county the go-ahead to negotiate with three manufacturers who met the county's requirements issued earlier this year for obtaining a pot growing permit.

Earlier this month, voters in Yolo County approved Measure K, which taxes all types of cannabis businesses.