Over seven years and more than 4,000 complaints later, the pungent smell of pot in Carpinteria might finally be under control, thanks to the Santa Barbara County Supervisors who, on March 18th, unanimously voted to adopt amendments to the county’s cannabis ordinance.

“Unanimously, the Board of Supervisors ushered in a new chapter of cannabis in Carpinteria today,” said Chair Laura Capps in a statement to the Montecito Journal. “We finally listened to the people and acted to hold cannabis operations accountable for the negative impacts on quality of life. I admire the tenacity of so many people who advocated year after year for real change – it’s upon us, thanks to them.”

The amendments require cannabis farmers to eliminate existing vapor phase technology and install “multi-technology carbon filtration” or equivalent technology in their greenhouses by March 31st, 2026 – 12 months after the official implementation. If cannabis growers fail to comply with the amendments, the county may revoke their business license or deny its renewal. 

Operators facing extenuating circumstances like supply chain issues may be able to request a one-time extension of up to 12 months. However, requests must be submitted 90 days before the installation deadline. 

Some Carpinteria residents have expressed concerns about growers “abusing” the hardship extensions, intentionally delaying the process. Others still believe the 12-month deadline for growers is too generous. “Please make this a 90-day deadline,” wrote Linda Seiter in a letter to the Board. “It’s been eight years. How long do we have to suffer.” 

A few stepped up to the mic at public comment, including some cannabis growers in Carpinteria, who said they fully support the cannabis odor abatement but asked to make some changes to the proposed plans. 

Tadd McKenzie, Co-President and CFO of the cannabis operation Pacific Dutch Group, wanted an extension beyond 12 months, citing the time needed for permitting, construction, and supply chains. He also brought up the idea of a tax credit to help with the cost of implementing the required odor scrubbers and power infrastructure. 

The ordinance will also mandate annual inspections by trained county staff and quarterly inspections after the first year. Odor will be measured at the property line using a Nasal Ranger, a device – technically an olfactometer – that detects and quantifies an odor’s strength. 

The supervisors agreed that a reading of 7 Dilution-to-Threshold (D/T) for over three consecutive minutes would be considered an exceedance and a violation. A reading of 4 D/T is defined as faint, 7 D/T overt as noticeable, and 15 D/T as strong. To remain compliant, an operator must operate below that level 7 D/T. 

First District Supervisor Roy Lee, who oversees Carpinteria, preferred a nasal reading of 4 D/T, but staff cautioned that detecting consistently at that level might be challenging. “It’s not a workable threshold for us,” said the county’s Planning and Development Director, Lisa Plowman. “We can consistently pick up at 7, but we can’t [consistently] at 4.” 

Supervisor Lee also said he wasn’t a fan of the current complaint system. He indicated support for “more of a random testing” approach instead of a complaint-based one. Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino agreed with Lee, saying that the complaint system hadn’t worked in the past. 

However, Supervisor Lavagnino didn’t think it should be fully eliminated. He thought that even if they got rid of the complaint system, people will still call to complain. “Doing away with it, I think, might be counterproductive.” 

County staff assured that the complaint system is intended to work in conjunction with proactive monitoring by staff using the Nasal Ranger during regular and unannounced site visits. They described the future complaint system as a “backstop” to proactive staff inspections using the Nasal Ranger.

If they receive five complaints within 24 hours about an acute situation, the county is entitled to test the area. For ongoing or persistent odor issues, three complaints received from individuals within a 60-day period will trigger attention.

“I’m so proud of the Carpinteria community for their perseverance,” said Supervisor Lee in a statement to the Montecito Journal. “This is a massive victory for all of us. We just took the biggest step possible toward solving the cannabis odors in Carp forever. This process took longer than it should, but there’s a deadline now. We all have something good to look forward to. And thanks to my fellow board members for working together as a team to get things accomplished.”