This Chapter is known and may be cited as the Mendocino Cannabis Cultivation Ordinance ("MCCO"). Chapter 20.242 of the Mendocino County Code, titled Cannabis Cultivation Sites, is complementary to this Chapter and together the chapters may be cited as the Mendocino Cannabis Cultivation Regulation ("MCCR").
It is the purpose and intent of this Chapter, together with complementary regulations found in Chapter 20.242 of the Mendocino County Zoning Code, to regulate the cultivation of cannabis within the unincorporated areas of Mendocino County in a manner that is consistent with State law and which promotes the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents and businesses within those areas by balancing the needs of medical patients and their caregivers for enhanced access to medical cannabis, the needs of neighbors and communities to be protected from public safety and nuisance impacts, and the need to limit harmful environmental impacts that are sometimes associated with cannabis cultivation.
Adoption of this Chapter will protect the public health, safety and welfare of the residents of the County of Mendocino by adopting regulations regarding the cultivation of cannabis by individuals consistent with the provisions of State law and a local regulatory structure that will operate in conformance with State licensing requirements for the commercial cultivation of cannabis.
All cultivation of cannabis within the County of Mendocino, except for cultivation allowed pursuant to Chapter 9.31, shall comply with the provisions of the MCCR, as well as all applicable state and local laws, regardless of whether the cultivation site existed or occurred prior to the adoption of the MCCR.
