Sacramento, California - Due to the signing of the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA) by Governor Jerry Brown, which went into effect January 2016, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will begin issuing state cannabis cultivation licenses in January 2018.  A newly created division within CDFA, the Medical Cannabis Cultivation Program (MCCP), is preparing for and developing the licensing process and has launched a survey to assess the number of applications they might receive for cultivation licenses or for use of the Track and Trace system once these programs are in place. 

The County of Imperial encourages potential license applicants to participate in the online survey.

MMRSA is comprised of three separate bills, AB 243, AB 266 and SB 643.  Each bill establishes different aspects of licensing and regulating the cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, transportation, sales and testing of commercial medical cannabis.  Pursuant to AB 243, a person or entity is not allowed to grow cannabis before receiving both a state license and a county and/or city license permitting cultivation in the county where the cultivation will occur.  Before applying for a state license, the person or entity must first obtain a license, permit or entitlement from the local authority.

In addition to assessing the amount and type of applications the MCCP may receive, the survey is also capturing information related to the county where the cultivation may occur.  The survey will not collect any identifying information from people completing the survey beyond the county information.  The information related to Imperial County will be shared with the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office; therefore the County of Imperial is encouraging participation in the online survey.

“Just as the statewide data on potential applications will assist the state in planning for and setting up their licensing program, the same information about Imperial County will help us plan for our local program,” said Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner Connie Valenzuela. 

Those interested in participating in CDFA’s online survey, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/JH5RZVC.  For more information regarding the survey, contact MCCP at (916) 263-0801 or email questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..