City of Sacramento Allows Greenhouse Grows, Sensible Limits

November 20 – The Emerald Growers Association (EGA) and California NORML endorsed the City of Sacramento’s sensible compromise personal use medical cannabis cultivation ordinance, which allows for secure greenhouses.

The ordinance, which passed 6-2 by city council, contains a reasonable square footage allowance for personal cultivation (400 square feet) and reasonable wattage for artificial light (3800 watts). On natural sunlight cultivation: alternative structures are acceptable if compliant and odor-free–all conditions met by a secure greenhouse system in place in the city of Yuba and Sutter county. No special registration or permit is required for personal use cultivation; rather, complaint-driven enforcement is allowed.

Attorney James Anthony of Oakland spearheaded the effort.

In the future, CalNORML would like to see hardship exemptions for indigent patients who are unable to comply with requirements and aren’t bothering their neighbors. Oral arguments were held last week in CalNORML’s suit against Tehama’s restrictive cultivation ordinance; one of the reasons the Tehama city attorney gave in support of their ordinance was its hardship exemption.

CalNORML keeps up with cultivation ordinances around the state. Outdoor bans against medical marijuana cultivation began in 2009 in cities and in a few cases has spread to whole counties. CalNORML is very concerned about encroachments on cultivation rights. Patients and caregivers who are impacted by local ordinances can write here.