Tag archives: cannabis

Supervisors Lead the Way on New Cannabis Odor Regulations
By Tiana Molony   |   January 21, 2025

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Cannabis Odor Abatement and Proposed Amendments Plan at their meeting on Tuesday, September 14th. Chair Laura Capps and Vice Chair Bob Nelson spearheaded the initiative to amend Chapter 50 of the county’s Code of Ordinances to address ongoing odor concerns related to cannabis cultivation.  The […]

An Unlikely Duo Maps Out Their Vision for Santa Barbara County
By Jeff Giordano   |   January 21, 2025

At last week’s Board meeting, there was an Honor Guard, the La Colina HS Jazz Band, and even a bit of soaring keynote rhetoric from Montecito’s own Gwyn Lurie. It was as Supervisor Steve Lavagnino described — a “celebration of democracy” — where Roy Lee took his place on the dais and Supervisor Laura Capps […]

An Activist CPC Grabs the Reins: Miramar & Cannabis
By Jeff Giordano   |   November 26, 2024

As we await our new D1 Supervisor Roy Lee, the County Planning Commission (CPC) has taken what some might argue is an activist approach to certain significant issues facing our County, including the Miramar Project and our Cannabis Ordinance. Allow me to explain: The Montecito Planning Commission lost their oversight of the Miramar based on […]

Santa Barbara County Seeks Solution to Cannabis Odor Problem
By Clarissa Rios   |   November 19, 2024

From sufficient tax revenue to operating locations, the cannabis industry has received its share of heat – but no other complaint has been vocalized more than the odor surrounding the industry. Over 2,500 odor complaints have been filed in the past four years. As that number continues to rise, the county is grappling with setting […]

Santa Barbara: When You Control the “Conversation,” You Control the County
By Jeff Giordano   |   September 24, 2024

Very recently, we learned that at a Regular Planning Commission meeting set for September 25, the Commission will review suggested changes to our community-disastrous Cannabis Ordinance. This got me to wondering: Who controls the agenda and timing related to important County issues, i.e., who controls the “conversation”?  The Planning Commission is an advice-driven part of […]

Why Transparency and Ethics Matter in SB Politics!
By Jeff Giordano   |   June 11, 2024

On June 18, the Supervisors will decide whether our revenue-starved County will approve a ballot referendum that would increase our cannabis tax rates. Frankly, I’m not nearly as concerned about the tax itself, as I am about the fact that Supervisors Steve Lavagnino and Das Willams continue to dominate the cannabis conversation. Allow me to […]

Grass is Greener (Than Previously Reported) on Both Sides
By Jeff Wing   |   May 21, 2024

In 1936 they released the notorious Reefer Madness, a social horror movie lightly dressed up as a PSA. Reefer Madness lives up to its nominal hypothesis, portraying the effects of cannabis in a terrifying Jekyll-and-Hyde framework that sees gee-whiz youngsters turned into shifty-eyed, maniacally giggling creeps after a single puff. Marijuana was the sinister trojan […]

Cannabis Tax Debacle: Our $1.6B County Minimally Deserves Competence
By Jeff Giordano   |   April 16, 2024

After nearly a year of working on cannabis tax alternatives, our Deputy CEO finally presented her findings to the Board of Supervisors who are considering a November election Cannabis tax ballot Referendum. More disappointing than the presentation’s lack of depth, analysis or erudition was its shockingly obvious cannabis-bias. Allow me to explain: There are only […]

Santa Barbara: Where Ethics Is Again Front and Center
By Jeff Giordano   |   August 1, 2023

As most know, our County’s complete lack of ethical standards is something I have raged against. While other counties have a Code of Ethics (something that our Grand Jury recommended in 2020), our County blissfully dances in the darkness without pesky little rules relating to the timing of campaign contributions, acceptance of gifts, hiring of […]

Life in Casa
By Montecito Journal   |   May 30, 2023

When I moved to Casa Dorinda on January 1, 2009, after being on the waitlist for five years, it was the height of the 2008 financial disaster which cost me a $300,000 loss on the sale of my house. I had friends from the Music Academy of the West here, and the first four years […]

Supervisor Capps’ First 120 Days in the Game
By Gwyn Lurie   |   May 2, 2023

In November 2020 2nd District County Supervisor Laura Capps, then School Board Member Capps, took a run for the 1st District County Supervisor seat challenging Supervisor Das Williams. Despite this paper’s strong endorsement of Capps for her refreshing perspective on campaign reform, the need for more transparency in the government (on issues like cannabis and […]

Cannabis Revenues Disappoint
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 21, 2023

At a SB County Board of Supervisors hearing this past Tuesday, the board was briefed on second-quarter revenues for Fiscal Year 2022-23 related to cannabis tax revenue, which continues to trend lower than budgeted with a projected $10.5M negative variance.  With an adopted budget of $16.3M, cannabis cultivation and retail storefront tax is currently projecting […]

Dear Mr. Cox and Cox Communications
By Montecito Journal   |   February 21, 2023

We feel so lucky to live in Montecito, a beautiful community with great neighbors and friendly dogs. And you owe me $30,000. This is what I was forced to spend on legal and engineering fees trying to stop your company from ripping out our landscaping and killing our trees in order to put a large, […]

Van Gogh, Canals, and Cannabis, Oh My!
By Ernie Witham   |   December 20, 2022

Seems like there was always a guy in Dam Square in front of the Royal Palace with a microphone.  In our three days in Amsterdam, we had watched a group of protesters freely protesting their lack of protesting rights. A drunken magician, who spent more time cursing out the crowd than actually performing tricks. And […]

Thanks From the Roots
By Montecito Journal   |   November 29, 2022

On behalf of the entire ownership team, thank you to the community for supporting our application for a new cannabis retail dispensary in the Carpinteria Valley. While we recognize we have some additional hurdles to clear, we are 100% confident that Roots Carpinteria will open for business at 3823 Santa Claus Lane in 2023.  I […]

Santa Barbara: Tilting Toward Tyranny
By Jeff Giordano   |   November 22, 2022

At a time when, nationally, we’re discussing (i.e. screaming at one another) democracy, I thought it appropriate to bring the issue a bit closer to home. You see, part of any great democracy is the idea of Checks and Balances – it’s what separates us from authoritarianism. Unfortunately, in Santa Barbara we tend toward tyranny […]

Cannabis Appeal Denied
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 8, 2022

On Tuesday, November 1, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to deny an appeal of the approval of a Coastal Development Permit to operate a cannabis retail store, Roots Carpinteria, on Santa Claus Lane. The appeal was made by a group of aggrieved neighbors and the public calling themselves Preserve Access on […]

Depend on Gullap-Moore for SBCC Board Trustee
By Montecito Journal   |   November 8, 2022

I am proud to support and endorse Dr. Charlotte Gullap-Moore for Santa Barbara City College Board Trustee TA#1. I have known Charlotte for more than four years, and in that time, I have found her to be an earnest community advocate, an honest person, and always stands up for the disenfranchised in the community. We could […]

Appealing Santa Claus Cannabis
By Montecito Journal   |   November 1, 2022

I will not be able to attend the Santa Claus cannabis retail store appeal hearing on November 1, 2022, however I would like to convey my opposition to its approval and impending existence in this message.  Three things you should know about me before I address my reasons for concern: My family has lived, worked, […]

Why We Support the United Nations
By Montecito Journal   |   October 25, 2022

As members of the Santa Barbara and Tri-Counties Chapter of the United Nations Association-USA, we are frequently asked if the U.N. is still relevant and capable of carrying out its mission, and what does our organization do? Since United Nations Day is being celebrated on October 24th throughout the U.S. and the world, it is […]