Jan 11th 2026 Letter from the Sonoma County Farm Bureau to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on the proposed Right to Farm Ordiinance - Cannabis inclusion

link to orginal email

   
^{SONOMA COUNTY FARM BUREAU}

^‍Affiliated with California Farm Bureau and American Farm Bureau Federation
   
 

‍

January 11, 2026                                                                               E-MAIL
                                                                                 
Chairperson Rebecca Hermosillo

Members of the Board of Supervisors

575 Administration Drive

Room 100A

Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Subject: Right to Farm Ordinance- Cannabis Inclusion

Dear Chairperson Hermosillo and Members of the Board:

We are writing to once again reiterate and emphasize our serious concern regarding extending protections for cannabis cultivation under the County’s Right to Farm Ordinance.

The adoption of cannabis being designated as "controlled agriculture” in Sonoma County creates exceptions that differ from traditional agriculture. This exception contends that it is not entirely regarded as agriculture and, therefore, should not benefit from the protections of the Right to Farm Ordinance.

The legal and regulatory reality is that cannabis is not federally recognized as a legal crop; it remains classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. When it comes to California, cannabis odors are not included under the State Right to Farm Laws, as the State does not classify cannabis as an agricultural crop. Including cannabis under our County’s Right to Farm Ordinance violates 3 state laws, including the State’s Right to Farm, the State’s Nuisance Law, and the State Health and Safety Code. Our Right to Farm Ordinance rightly says it must follow all state and federal laws, so why is the inclusion of cannabis in our ordinance even being considered?

Significant emphasis on the importance of strengthening the Right to Farm Ordinance and expanding protections for existing agricultural production has been identified during and after our fight against Measure J and at every community outreach workshop hosted by Permit Sonoma in preparation for the General Plan update. As a result of these clear messages across Sonoma County, we urge you to reconsider the inclusion of cannabis until it is fully legalized and redefined at the federal level, where no exceptions or alternate designations are needed. Protecting the long-term integrity of the Right to Farm Ordinance, a crucial tool for safeguarding our traditional farms from nuisance complaints, is paramount. Explicitly including cannabis in the Right to Farm Ordinance risks diluting the integrity and efficacy of these policies, leaving them open to greater criticism and, ultimately, further controversy of non-cannabis businesses.

We urge you to reconsider the inclusion of cannabis in the Right to Farm Ordinance. Adequate evaluation of this inclusion is needed and warrants proper vetting to recognize the damaging implications and unintended consequences.

Thank you for your time and consideration of these important concerns.

‍

Respectfully,

Pat Burns                                            Dayna Ghirardelli
President                                             Executive Director

‍

‍

‍