CA state senator leads charge against large-scale marijuana grows

Be at the forefront of cannabis and psychedelics science and innovation. Register by March 14 & Save $100 on tickets to The Emerald Conference by MJBiz Science, April 1-3 in San Diego.


In an effort to protect smaller-scale cannabis growers that are worried about being forced out of the regulated market by commercial cultivators that will be producing at scale, California state Sen. Scott Wiener has vowed to push regulators to amend industry rules that were updated last week.

“By not limiting the amount of land that can be cultivated by one operation, we are basically inviting mega industrial-scale operations into the state,” Wiener told the San Francisco Chronicle.

“It will squeeze out the small farmers that have been at the forefront of the industry for many, many years.”

Wiener told the Chronicle he hopes the rules will be changed by the legislature next year.

However, it appears the scale of cannabis production could turn into a political football, with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom – who is now running for governor of California – telling the Chronicle that, unlike Wiener, he’s not opposed to large-scale grows.

The regulations and legalization overall, Newsom said, will need “constant re-evaluation,” as it’s a “process unfolding over many years,” the Chronicle reported.

“I’m watching closely to ensure that the rules are being applied with tough anti-monopoly standards that create favorable market conditions for small legal businesses,” he added.