Six years after the San Benito County Supervisors voted to allow the cultivation and sale of cannabis, there are no legal cannabis growers in the county and therefore no tax revenues.
To fix this, the supervisors will put a measure on the 2026 ballot to reduce taxes on cannabis in an effort to attract more growers. The plan was developed by county staff and Supervisors Kollin Kosmicki and Bea Gonzales, and discussed at a board meeting on Nov. 26. Dulce Alonso, the county's principal administrative analyst, addressed the lack of cannabis businesses in San Benito County.
"Many businesses that are interested in establishing here claim that our high taxes are a barrier for them," Alonso said.
To bring more cannabis growers to the county, the board plans to exempt cannabis cultivators from paying any taxes at all until Dec. 31, 2026, and put a measure on the ballot, to be voted on in June 2026, seeking voter support to reduce the current tax rates. Details of the exemption are still not finalized and will be presented to the board in a future public hearing.
Read more at Benito Link