From sufficient tax revenue to operating locations, the cannabis industry has received its share of heat – but no other complaint has been vocalized more than the odor surrounding the industry. Over 2,500 odor complaints have been filed in the past four years. As that number continues to rise, the county is grappling with setting and enforcing an odor threshold and determining which tools can be used to pinpoint odor sources.
The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission met on Nov. 6. to review complaints and the results of a recent study. The hearing was a follow-up to a September meeting where the board directed staff to develop a set of standards to verify odor complaints and determine where and how odor measurements should be taken. Although the November hearing did not result in a final decision, the commissioners voted to continue the discussion with a special hearing set for Jan. 22, 2025.
Previously, ordinance provisions had been deemed unenforceable due to the lack of a clear way to measure cannabis odor levels. The county is looking to establish an objective threshold for the odor. A recent cannabis odor study conducted by Planning & Development staff sought help from a tool known as the Nasal Ranger. Gwen Beyeler, Supervising Planner for the county, describes it as a "standard tool to measure nuisance odor."
The Nasal Ranger uses a field olfactometer to measure odor strength in the air. Individuals must be trained to use it and pass a required odor sensitivity assessment. The tool is commonly used by facility operators, air quality control managers, and various citizen groups. It's lauded for being a quick and inexpensive answer to the odor complaint problem that is so prominent in Carpinteria. As Roy Reed, 4th District Planning Commissioner, remarked, it's like "a Sommelier in a wine tasting room."
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