“I don’t think that the county did everything perfectly,” says County Supervisor, Das Williams, in response to an explosive article in the Los Angeles Times that shed light on how, allegedly, Santa Barbara County Supervisors allowed cannabis farms to grow - both in number and acreage - with virtually no regulation.
However, Williams also says some of the statistics from the article are outdated and ignore the positive aspects of legal grow permits. “The bigger picture is that if you open the vector too much that will create a nuisance,” he says. “But if you open the door not enough then you’re helping the black market to survive.”
According to Mozingo, the expansive growth of cannabis cultivation in the Santa Ynez Valley and Carpenteria areas has resulted in a litany of complaints by neighbors about odors and pest control disputes with avocado farmers.
The story also took aim at Supervisor Williams and what appeared to be especially close personal relationships with cannabis lobbyists.
Rumors were reported in The Santa Barbara Independent that Williams may see a Democratic challenger in next year’s election race.