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SLO County supervisors extend temporary hemp moratorium

July 18, 2019

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday to extend a temporary moratorium on the growing of industrial hemp for 12 months with Supervisor Bruce Gibson dissenting. [Cal Coast Times]

In California, 25 counties have passed temporary moratoriums on hemp, with San Luis Obispo and Imperial counties initially approving the crop. Emails show supervisors Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson initially voiced concerns that cross pollination from hemp plants could lower the THC level in marijuana crops, and their profits.

A year later, both Gibson and Hill appeared to have switched sides and both supported local hemp production.

However, several long-time winery owners in the Edna Valley then voiced concerns that hemp cultivation could negatively impact their businesses because of odor and water usage. Last month, Hill responded to their concerns by voting with supervisors Debbie Arnold, John Peschong and Lynn Compton to place a temporary moratorium on hemp while they examine ways to mitigate the concerns.

Even though the supervisors approved the year-long extension on Tuesday, they asked staff to bring a permanent ordinance back sooner if possible.

Even though marijuana and hemp are both members of the cannabis family, they have different properties. Marijuana plants produce THC, the intoxicant in pot. Hemp is used to produce paper, cloth and CBD, an ingredient used in supplements, extracts and oils.

Unlike marijuana, industrial hemp is now a federally legal agriculture commodity. Marijuana has its own specific regulations and is not protected as an agricultural crop.


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It was a handy charade designed to make the board look responsible. Crush one business in favor of another.


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Amazing, SLO County has what, 500 wineries? Has maybe 100 microbreweries, 30 or so distilleries (adding more all the time) and maybe 2,500 fine dining establishments, 100 or so bars, plus gas stations, grocery stores, mini marts, etc… all making, selling and serving booze, to the point that we’re swimming in booze, but we need to ban growing hemp!?!


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Wineries would have their businesses affected by water usage? So the wineries would oppose any nearby farming activity? I doubt it.


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Let’s ban table grapes in favor of wine grapes; table grapes use water and wine grapes are more profitable. That makes as much sense as banning hemp in favor of marijuana.


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This is hilarious!!! Outlawing pot in the first place, is ultimately what raised its potency!


Had it been left alone, no more regulated than a common garden tomato, it would have very little mystique. As grown by common folks, the cross-pollination would have limited its potency at least locally except for hobbyists, and its incredible healing properties would have been discovered earlier and and more cheaply.


Furthermore, folks dumb enough to drive under it and driving badly enough to be noticed by alert cops, are subject to the same as those who drive tipsy from booze.


Read chapter 2, “The Troubled Life of Joseph and Mary,” written by a Central Coast local in his book “Sweet Thursday,” John Steinbeck. And recall a very old song … “La Cucaracha … ya no puede caminar, por que no puede, porque la falta marijuana que fumar.”


Brilliant in a way, to outlaw (including to strictly regulate) a weed to make it a profitable crop!

God has a great sense of humor!


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I cant disagree pot has its helpful uses. That being said last trip by a dispensary on dope head day didn’t surprise me as the 30 deep line waiting its opening consisted of most prepubescent turds. Of course they were of legal age, but you get the picture. If our nations under 25 crowd needs that much pot to make them “better” we have a bigger problem than global warming Id say.


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Bigger problem than global warming …! Well, considering that a mere 120,000 years ago two-thirds of Florida was underwater (and will be again someday), and only 20,000 years ago Florida was twice as big because sea levels were so low (and will be again someday) …


… and that these cycles have been repeated regularly over the past 65 million years at least since the last of three global catastrophes finally eradicated the dinosaurs, who had ruled the planet for close on to 300 million years previous …


… I’d say that solving the “problem” of folks smoking a dried, common plant as easy to grow as a garden tomato… is on a par with solving the “problem” of global warming, yes. Very good analogy.


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