Cannabis Growers Face License Risk After Santa Barbara County Board Rejects Extension Requests

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors rejected extension requests from eight cannabis growers in the Carpinteria Valley during a recent meeting.

The growers had requested additional time to install required odor-control equipment under county regulations aimed at addressing complaints about cannabis odors affecting nearby communities.

During the March 10 meeting, the board voted 4-1 to deny the applications from the eight cannabis farms. The odor-control requirement was introduced about a year ago as part of county regulations intended to reduce strong cannabis odors from cultivation sites.

Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino cast the lone vote against denying the extension requests.

County rules require cannabis operators to install multi-technology carbon filtration (MTCF) systems designed to capture and reduce odors from greenhouse and indoor growing operations.

Operators must also submit a revised Odor Abatement Plan to the Planning and Development Department several months before installing the systems, allowing county officials to review and approve the proposed technology.

Two key compliance deadlines fall in March.

The first deadline is March 18, 2026, when cannabis operators must have odor-control equipment installed and operating in compliance with county land-use regulations.

The second deadline is March 31, 2026, when the odor-control technology must be fully incorporated into operations to meet Chapter 50 business license standards.

If growers fail to meet the March 18 deadline, the county will begin issuing notices of violation. Missing the March 31 deadline could trigger a process to suspend or revoke a grower’s business license.

County officials said that if a license is ultimately revoked, the operator would be required to remove all cannabis plants from the affected greenhouses.

Odor-mitigation systems often rely on carbon filtration scrubbers, which remove cannabis odors from greenhouse air before it is released into the surrounding environment.

Installing the equipment can be costly, with some carbon filtration scrubbers costing tens of thousands of dollars per unit.

Among the county’s indoor and greenhouse cannabis farms, most are located in the Carpinteria Valley, where odor complaints have been most frequently reported.

The growers who requested extensions included CP1 Supply Systems Inc., Emmawood B1 LLC, CKC Farms Inc. and Life Remedy Farms, New Generation Farms Inc. and Blue Whale Agriculture, Prime Time Farms, Bosim 1628 Management Company LLC, G&K Produce and K&G Flowers, and Valley Crest Farms.