Where's the Weed in California Cannabis? Ownership, Practice, and Local Governance in Mendocino County

Keywords: Cannabis, legalization, land-use, governance, public policy, agriculture, marijuana
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

The study of the (de)criminalization of cannabis cultivation, sales and consumption are increasing but little is known about the impacts on remote rural ecosystems in places where access to sanitation services, renewable energy resources and water are limited. In the California North Coast, data suggests that regional agricultural production is arguably dominated by cannabis cultivation. Or rather, this was the case prior to adoption of the Medical and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) in 2017 which established a statewide regulatory framework for all cannabis production. Enterprises such as those in Mendocino County have cited licensing program requirements, property acquisition and incompatible governance as key barriers to attaining licensing. This inquiry seeks unpack these challenges to assess how governance has altered decision-making outcomes related to farming and land-use among operators in Mendocino County. The project employs mixed methodologies to facilitate a transdisciplinary research approach through surveys, interviews, Geographic Information Science (GIS) and analysis using R Statistical Computing software. Open-ended, Likert, dichotomous and bipolar questions are included and focus on agroecological and socioeconomic aspects of cannabis business in the remote rural context. Data gathered from questionnaire responses will be used to develop a statistical model that will predict how much land-disturbance and what structures would be needed for cannabis cultivation based on a few known variables like location, water source, and cultivation type. The model will provide practitioners and policy makers information about cannabis business practice and show correlations between regulatory actions and decisions made on the ground.