Cannabis Environmental Impact Report

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The Draft EIR public review period ended on March 31, 2025. To review the Draft EIR, please visit the project's CEQA Public Review webpage.

The County is preparing a Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to study the potential environmental impacts of the Socially Equitable Cannabis Program as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Staff is working with consultants from Ascent Environmental, Inc. to prepare the EIR.

What is CEQA?

CEQA (pronounced “SEE-kwuh”), is a state law created in 1970. It requires all California state and local public agencies to study the potential significant environmental impacts of a proposed project prior to approval.

The objectives of CEQA are to:

  • Disclose potential significant environmental impacts
  • Identify ways to avoid or reduce significant environmental impacts
  • Prevent environmental damage by requiring implementation of feasible alternatives or mitigation measures
  • Foster interagency coordination and public participation
  • Show that the agency is considering environmental implications of actions prior to making decisions

Click on the CEQA Training Video link for an overview of CEQA for community members and stakeholders.

Purpose of an EIR

If a proposed project has potential to cause one or more significant environmental impacts, CEQA requires an agency to prepare an EIR.

The purpose of an EIR is to:

  • Inform the public about a project's potential significant environmental impacts and ways the lead agency can potentially avoid, minimize, reduce, or mitigate for them
  • Demonstrate that the environment is being considered prior to approving the project and that the agency has considered the environmental implications of its actions
  • Ensure prevention of environmental damage by requiring implementation of feasible alternatives or mitigation measures

How Do I Get Involved?

The CEQA process is expected to be a multi-year process and there will be multiple opportunities for public participation as the County prepares the EIR. Information on engagement opportunities will be posted to this page, when available.

We encourage you to also:

  • Stay informed by reviewing the information on this site
  • Share information with your communities
  • Participate in the engagement tools on this site
  • Contribute to the conversations at meetings
  • Review and comment on draft ordinances when available
  • Ask questions

To subscribe to the Cannabis Program email notification list, select “Stay Informed” (on the right for webpage users or scroll down for mobile users).

The Draft EIR public review period ended on March 31, 2025. To review the Draft EIR, please visit the project's CEQA Public Review webpage.

The County is preparing a Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to study the potential environmental impacts of the Socially Equitable Cannabis Program as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Staff is working with consultants from Ascent Environmental, Inc. to prepare the EIR.

What is CEQA?

CEQA (pronounced “SEE-kwuh”), is a state law created in 1970. It requires all California state and local public agencies to study the potential significant environmental impacts of a proposed project prior to approval.

The objectives of CEQA are to:

  • Disclose potential significant environmental impacts
  • Identify ways to avoid or reduce significant environmental impacts
  • Prevent environmental damage by requiring implementation of feasible alternatives or mitigation measures
  • Foster interagency coordination and public participation
  • Show that the agency is considering environmental implications of actions prior to making decisions

Click on the CEQA Training Video link for an overview of CEQA for community members and stakeholders.

Purpose of an EIR

If a proposed project has potential to cause one or more significant environmental impacts, CEQA requires an agency to prepare an EIR.

The purpose of an EIR is to:

  • Inform the public about a project's potential significant environmental impacts and ways the lead agency can potentially avoid, minimize, reduce, or mitigate for them
  • Demonstrate that the environment is being considered prior to approving the project and that the agency has considered the environmental implications of its actions
  • Ensure prevention of environmental damage by requiring implementation of feasible alternatives or mitigation measures

How Do I Get Involved?

The CEQA process is expected to be a multi-year process and there will be multiple opportunities for public participation as the County prepares the EIR. Information on engagement opportunities will be posted to this page, when available.

We encourage you to also:

  • Stay informed by reviewing the information on this site
  • Share information with your communities
  • Participate in the engagement tools on this site
  • Contribute to the conversations at meetings
  • Review and comment on draft ordinances when available
  • Ask questions

To subscribe to the Cannabis Program email notification list, select “Stay Informed” (on the right for webpage users or scroll down for mobile users).

  • Socially Equitable Cannabis Program Board of Supervisors Hearing

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    On January 14, 2026, the Board of Supervisors provided direction on decision points for the draft Socially Equitable Cannabis Program (SECP). Details of each decision point are available in the minute order and the meeting recording is available online.

    Recap of Board Direction

    Decision Point #1: Land Use (Program Options)

    The Board provided direction to continue to develop the draft SECP in alignment with State standards (Program Option A). This option would allow all cannabis facility types and would require a 600-foot buffer from schools, day cares, and youth centers to cannabis facilities, consistent with the January 27, 2021 Board direction and State regulations.

    Decision Point #2: Regulations on Temporary Events & Consumption Lounges

    The Board provided direction to retain temporary cannabis events and onsite consumption lounges in the SECP for further consideration.

    Decision Point #3: Community Equity Contribution Program (CECP)

    The Board provided direction to continue to develop the CECP.

    Additional Direction on Background Checks

    The Board provided additional direction and directed the Chief Administrative Officer to return to the Board with amendments to the Regulatory Code that rely on the State Background Check for receiving a cannabis operating certificate.

    Next Steps

    Staff will finalize the draft Zoning Ordinance, draft Regulatory Code, and the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR). Staff will return to the Planning Commission in spring 2026 for a formal recommendation on the Zoning Ordinance amendments and the Final PEIR. Following the Commission’s recommendation, staff will return to the Board for consideration of the entire SECP including the Zoning Ordinance and Regulatory Code amendments, the Final PEIR, any associated permitting and licensing fees, and the codification of the Social Equity Program.


  • Cannabis Program Planning Commission Hearing (Informational Item)

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    On October 17, 2025, the County of San Diego’s Planning Commission received an informational update on the draft Socially Equitable Cannabis Program. The Planning Commission received an overview of the draft Zoning Ordinance amendments and the Draft PEIR, a summary of public outreach and feedback, and potential zoning ordinance changes that reflected stakeholder comments. No formal recommendations were made on the Cannabis Program.

    Click here to view a recording of the Planning Commission Hearing.

  • Public Review Period for Draft EIR Concluded

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    The 60-day public review period for the Draft EIR concluded on March 31, 2025. Thank you for your comments!

    All comments received during the Draft EIR public review period will be responded to in the Final EIR. The Draft EIR and draft ordinances are still available for reference on the County's CEQA Public Review page.

    Public comments on the Socially Equitable Cannabis Program are welcome at any time. For any comments not submitted during an identified comment period, please email comments to PDS.LongRangePlanning@sdcounty.ca.gov.

  • NOP and Public Meetings for the Program EIR

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    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

    The County prepared and released a Notice of Preparation (NOP) on September 15, 2023, for public review and comment and held two virtual public scoping meetings on October 12 and 17, 2023. The public comment period ended on October 31, 2023.

    The public comment period provided an opportunity for agency staff and interested members of the public to submit written and verbal comments on the scope of the environmental issues to be addressed in the EIR, including any suggestions for measures or alternatives that should be considered to minimize environmental impacts.

    You can review the NOP by following this link: CEQA Public Review (sandiegocounty.gov) or by clicking on the Documents icon on this page.

    Comments received during the scoping period have been reviewed and are being considered as we prepare the Draft EIR.

    EIR Public Scoping Meetings

    The County hosted two public scoping meetings on October 12 and 17, 2023, to present an overview of the Cannabis Program and CEQA and to gather verbal comments on the scope and content of the Cannabis Program EIR.

    Please see ‘EIR Scoping Meeting Presentation’ on the right-hand side of this page to view the slides presented at the scoping meetings.

Page last updated: 26 Jan 2026, 01:41 PM