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First cannabis growing permit granted in Sonoma
Craft cannabis cultivation is coming to California wine country after the first one acre growing permit was granted this week in Sonoma County.
The permit was granted on 30 September to Sonoma Hills Farm in the Petaluma Gap, which is the first farm allowed to legally cultivate cannabis in the world-renowned wine region.
The move marks a major milestone for Sonoma County as the region looks to become a hotbed of both quality wine and terroir-driven cannabis.
The cannabis will be grown in two locations on the farm – in a dry farmed outdoor garden and an indoor greenhouse with a facility for plant propagation and strain development. The first harvest at Petaluma Hills Farm, the cannabis farm within Sonoma Hills farm, is slated for late 2020.
Sonoma Hills Farm is the first in Sonoma County to be granted a cannabis permit
“This permit, and pending cultivation permits, demonstrates a huge step forward for California cannabis cultivators, wine country, and artisanal cannabis growers throughout the country.
“We are ushering in a new era that will allow small farmers of fine cannabis to equally participate, and ideally thrive, in Sonoma County,” said Sam Magruder, a partner in Petaluma Hills Farm.
“As pioneers in legal cannabis, we aspire to be a beacon for the industry, as well as a model for the world for growing craft cannabis in wine country.
“Much like growing grapes for the finest wines, we plan to take an artisanal approach to cultivation through the cannabis we have been permitted to grow in this incredible terroir,” Magruder added.
According to Magruder, the farm’s cooler location in the Petaluma Gap makes it ideal for the cultivation of ‘premium’ cannabis. The 40-acre farm is also home to a one-acre vegetable garden, herb garden and fruit orchard used by local chefs.
Magruder hopes the landmark decision will “lessen the stigma against cannabis and educate the community about the promise of the plant and the important role it will play in the future of small agriculture in Sonoma County”.