Last week, the Board of Supervisors for Napa County chose not to consider allowing commercial cannabis cultivation in the area, an initiative that was proposed by The Napa Valley Cannabis Association. The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) continues to oppose commercial cannabis cultivation in Napa Valley as well for several reasons, most notably that wine and cannabis have proven problematic agricultural neighbors, as demonstrated in the Santa Barbara wine growing region.
The Napa Valley Cannabis Association has referenced a potential ballot initiative if the Supervisors don’t permit a certain level of commercial cultivation locally. The prime motivation to grow cannabis here seems to be using the Napa Valley name on the product, which is also concerning to our Napa Name Protection Committee. The NVV appreciates the two vintner task forces, Community and Industry Issues Committee, and Board of Directors, 60 vintners in total, that have studied and deliberated on these two important issues.
At last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Visit Napa Valley President and CEO Linsey Gallagher along with board members Michael Lennon, General Manager of Calistoga Spa Hot Springs, and Tom Davies, president of V. Sattui Winery, raised concerns about a pending ordinance that would allow the commercial cultivation of cannabis in Napa County. Gallagher, Lennon and Davies stressed that reviving Napa Valley’s $2.2 billion tourism industry calls for protecting Napa Valley’s primary agricultural product and treasure that keeps visitors coming back time after time: world-class wine. Any detriments to this product, or the experience it provides, could hinder the crucial recovery of Napa Valley’s tourism industry. Watch the full Board of Supervisors meeting.
So for now, there will be no commercial cannabis cultivation in Napa County.