The Sonoma City Council has adopted a permanent ordinance for Personal Use of Cannabis and has conducted a public hearing and first reading of an Ordinance Regulating Commercial Cannabis. Prior to the permanent ordinances, the Sonoma City Council had taken a series of actions establishing interim moratoria on indoor and outdoor cultivation of medicinal and nonmedical cannabis (except as described under Personal Cultivation), as well as on commercial cannabis activities within City limits, with the exception of medicinal cannabis deliveries from licensed dispensaries located outside of City limits. These actions are outlined in further details in the “Background” section of the Cannabis Regulation web page.
Personal Use Cannabis Regulations – At the meeting of October 1, 2018, the City Council voted to adopt an ordinance of the amending Chapter 19 of the Sonoma Municipal code by establishing definitions and standards for the personal cultivation of cannabis. The ordinance is effective November 30, 2018.
Commercial Cannabis Regulations – A public hearing and first reading of the Ordinance Prohibiting all Commercial Cannabis Activities (Except Medicinal Deliveries) was conducted on November 5, 2018 and the Council voted to adopt the Ordinance. The second reading of the Ordinance is scheduled for the November 19th meeting of the City Council. The ordinance will be effective December 19, 2018.
CURRENTLY ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY OF SONOMA
Personal Cultivation, see Ordinance #05-2018 for definitions, limitations and requirements associated with personal cannabis cultivation
- Indoor: Personal cultivation of up to six (6) marijuana plants per residence is allowed, subject to restrictions. Applies to both medicinal and recreational grows. Limited to residential properties.
- Outdoor: A maximum of three (3) plants on no more than fifty (50) square feet in total per parcel with a private residence is allowed for outdoor cultivation of cannabis for personal use.
Commercial Cannabis Activities / Delivery
All commercial cannabis activities are prohibited, except for deliveries of medical cannabis from dispensaries located outside of city limits. To qualify, the business must have a location outside the city and be fully State-licensed and locally permitted. The business must be “locally permitted,” meaning that the business will have to have obtained permits or approvals from the municipality/public agency that it is situated in. Additionally, the business must apply for and obtain a Sonoma business license and pay the requisite tax. At the time of applying for the business license, the applicant must demonstrate compliance with the above-mentioned restrictions.
For background, documents and past news posts, please visit the Cannabis Regulation page.