Industrial Hemp Cultivation Halted in California County

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On January 28, 2025, the Board of Supervisors in Sutter County, California voted 4-1 to continue a ban on industrial hemp farming in the county. (1). Board Chairman Dan Flores was the only one to vote to discontinue the ban.

Over the last several years, complaints of the hemp odor reaching town, along with sustained losses in the agricultural department had prompted a temporary farming of industrial hemp in unincorporated areas of the county, which is located in north central California (2). The ban, titled Interim Urgency Ordinance 1728, began on December 17, 2024, and was set to expire on January 31, 2025.

The Board’s vote and background on the issue was described in the recent Sutter County Board of Supervisors Agenda Summary. As noted in the summary, there are currently six hemp growers in the county registered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, with a total of 197.6 acres outdoor and 67 hoophouses for cultivating hemp. None have reported that they have completed planting a crop.

Also included in the Agenda Summary is a letter dated January 28, 2025, to the Board from Agricultural Commissioner Lisa Herbert, who urged the Board to continue the moratorium on hemp cultivation for several reasons.

“As the Agricultural Commissioner of Sutter County, I urge you to deliberate carefully on the broader impacts of this significant decision,” the letter stated. “Our office administers a variety of mandated programs that face heightened risk due to ongoing support for industrial hemp cultivation – a program that has proven to be a public nuisance, negatively affecting public health, safety and welfare while also posing severe fiscal challenges. Personally, I have received a death threat from an individual associated with hemp industry, highlighting the critical nature of this issue.”

Herbert explained the financial impacts of the program in the county: “Sutter County's fiscal crisis further intensifies the need for careful stewardship of resources. My office has endured substantial budget reductions. In Fiscal Year 2023-24, we sustained a cut of $166,463 from our $3.2 million budget. The adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25 reflects an additional reduction of $361,841, bringing the total recent cuts to $528,304. Moreover, a hiring freeze has been placed on two key positions, one of them within our department: one Agricultural and Standards Biologist and one Secretary. These reductions limit our capacity for to fulfill mandated obligations.”

“The financial burden of the Industrial Hemp program cannot be ignored,” the letter continued. “From Fiscal Years 2018-19 through 2023-24, the program has accumulated a $415, 827 shortfall – excluding the ongoing deficit since July 1st, 2024.”

In April 2021, the Board adopted Ordinance No. 1682, which regulated the indoor and outdoor cultivation of industrial hemp and required licenses for cultivation or processing of hemp (3).

Most of the county’s hemp is being grown for CBD.

References

1. HempToday. Hemp farming ban extended in California county following concerns over death threat https://hemptoday.net/hemp-farming-ban-extended-in-california-county-following-concerns-over-death-threat/ (accessed Feb 4, 2025).
2. Sutter County Board of Supervisors. Agenda Summary https://suttercountyca.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=2304&Inline=True (accessed Feb 4, 2025).
3. Sutter County. Hemp Cultivation and Processing https://www.suttercounty.org/government/county-departments/development-services/planning-services/hemp-cultivation-and-processing (accessed Feb 4, 2025).