Humboldt County may reopen licensing for local cannabis businesses

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(This story has been updated from an earlier version to clarify that the board is considering a cap of 1,250 acres for the whole county, not per farm.)

One of the most well-known marijuana counties in the United States might soon be restarting its permitting system for local cannabis growers and other businesses that want to enter the legal market.

The board of supervisors in Humboldt County began discussion Monday about whether to reopen the licensing process for MJ companies, the Eureka Times-Standard reported.

Humboldt County, part of Northern California’s famed Emerald Triangle cannabis-growing region, stopped accepting license applications in December 2016.

No decision was expected immediately, according to a Times-Standard tweet, but the move could provide a path to licensure for thousands of growers.

And that, in turn, could have a major impact on the state’s cannabis supply chain.

The board of supervisors is also considering limiting the number of licenses to about 5,000, as well as an MJ cultivation cap of 1,250 acres for the entire county.

Although nothing has been finalized, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife recommended that the county cap the number of licensed marijuana farms at 4,792, though there are thousands more growers estimated to be already operating in Humboldt.