Trying to Get Your Grow Permitted in Humboldt County? Start Here!
Humboldt County Outdoor Cultivation Permitting Process Flow Chart
Kendra Miers, PE
So… you’ve decided to make the move towards legal farming and get permitted to grow medical marijuana in Humboldt County! Congratulations! You now get to join all other legal industries in the world and wade through a pile of regulations!
To help you understand this process, Mother Earth Engineering and Green Road Consulting have teamed up to create a visual representation of the steps you need to take to apply for a county cultivation permit, which you will need to eventually get a license from the State. This flow chart is for guidance only, and exact requirements are subject to change, so please consult with a professional for the most current information.
What you need to know when starting this complex process is to START NOW. Don’t wait for approval to begin addressing items on your property in need of correction, such as grading plans, building permits, and septic permits. You will need to enroll with the Regional Water Board as well, and you should do that right away.
To use the flow chart, start with the black arrow in the top center. Proceed through the GREEN boxes to see what you will need to complete your application and meet the standard conditions of the ordinance. The BLUE boxes contain administrative forms, files and fees. You may choose to do these items yourself. The ORANGE boxes are items that you as the applicant need to collect and submit copies of, or agree to do, to maintain the permit. The RED boxes are items that are generally completed by a consultant, and some of these RED box items require the services of a licensed engineer or geologist.
Of course you may decide that you would like to try to complete some of the red box items yourself – save a little money, right? Some of these are possible without the use of specialized computer software or technical expertise. Then again, you also may decide to hire a professional to do all of this for you, someone who does this stuff all day long and knows it inside and out – so that you can spend time in your garden, and get back to what you do best.
The Humboldt County Planning Department is the agency in charge of this process, and they recommend that anyone interested in applying set up an initial consultation before moving ahead. This meeting usually takes no more than an hour and the rate is $150/hr.
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