The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors last year ordered all greenhouse cannabis growers, most of them in the Carpinteria Valley, to install odor-control systems inside their greenhouses by March 18, 2026.
The requirement calls for “multi-technology carbon filtration,” commonly known as scrubbers, or another equivalent technology designed to reduce cannabis odors from greenhouse operations. Growers who fail to meet the deadline risk losing their business licenses.
The rule was adopted following years of complaints from residents who live near cannabis farms in the coastal valley.
Maria Dolores works across the street from a cannabis greenhouse and said the smell has long been noticeable in the area.
“Oh yeah, the smell is really strong,” Dolores said. “But now that they’ve put in those filters, it’s a little better.”
According to a report from the county’s Planning and Development Department, 11 of the 22 growers in the valley have met the deadline.
Still, some neighbors say other issues remain.
Sarah Aresco Smith, a local realtor who lives next to a cannabis greenhouse, said noise and lighting from the facilities can be disruptive.
“The home I live in actually borders a cannabis farm,” Smith said. “Not my favorite. They’re not ideal neighbors. The issue hasn’t really been the smell, but the lights. They don’t always turn them off when they’re supposed to, and the greenhouse uses a lot of ventilation. The fans they use are really loud, so it’s disruptive.”
Some growers asked the county for more time to comply with the odor-control requirement.
Eric Edwards, representing the cannabis company Headwaters, told supervisors the odor-abatement process was taking longer than expected.
“As we navigate the odor abatement process, it’s taking a little longer than we hoped,” Edwards said while requesting an extension.
The Board of Supervisors ultimately denied the request, along with other requests for more time, keeping the March 18 compliance deadline in place.
