On the heels of a report from the state Auditor’s office, Santa Barbara County officials announced some minor steps this month to strengthen impartiality and public safety in cannabis permitting and licensing.
The state released its report on March 28 following a yearlong study into how cannabis zoning permits and business licenses were being handled in six California jurisdictions — the counties of Santa Barbara and Monterey and the cities of Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego, and South Lake Tahoe.
The auditors urged all six counties to consistently follow their own policies in granting cannabis permits, document and review criminal background checks, and require employees involved in the review of cannabis applications to sign impartiality statements.