Policy

Cannabis policy intersects all of our work.

Our methods cross disciplines to uncover the social and ecological impacts of policy decisions. Our findings show that conflicts between local, state and federal regulation can lead to unintended outcomes and missed opportunities. Our recommendations cut through the complexity to address the needs of people and the environment.

What we’ve learned

Farmers encounter significant barriers to licensing, leading many to decide to never seek a license. These barriers significantly impact smaller farmers or those with fewer resources. This can Intensify industrial consolidation.
Bodwitch 2021
California cannabis growers characterized legalization as harmful to their businesses and communities. They describe a process that excludes small growers, contributes to an increase in black market sales, and undermines economies of rural communities.
Bodwitch et al. 2019
Larger farms are more likely to apply for permits. Permitted cannabis farms tend to be larger, newer, and sited in areas with lower slopes and stream densities. In the years prior to legalization farm size expanded significantly in Humboldt County.
Schwab et al. 2019
Cannabis bans and “enforcement first” approaches undermine regulatory goals and deepen disparities. Re-criminalizing cannabis cultivation undermines state-level policies and programs that promote social equity and protect the environment.
Polson and Petersen-Rockney 2019
Legalization of cannabis production can paradoxically disrupt supportive, collective systems of cultivation that formed during prohibition. Policies that recognize and build from “commoning” practices can help sustain collective benefits.
Polson and Bodwitch 2021
Increases in California’s budget for cannabis regulatory programs appear inadequate relative to the pressures of cannabis agriculture on the environment.
Butsic et al. 2018

Science and Policy Briefs

OPEN PDF

Transformation of Unlicensed Cannabis Cultivation Since Legalization

This brief outlines the transformation of unlicensed cultivation since legalization based on over 150 extended interviews with people involved with cannabis cultivation in three regions of California.