Cannabis farms are on the rise in and around many appellations of wine-centric states like California and Oregon; according to BDS Analytics, a Boulder, Colorado-based cannabinoid research firm, legal cannabis sales in California increased by $586 million in 2020, and the Oregon market expanded by 39 percent.
Concerns in many regional wine communities are on the rise, too, particularly as lack of regulation creates competition for labor, illegal resource use, and skyrocketing land prices.
Since cannabis cultivation landed in the Rogue Valley of southern Oregon, growing grapes has become far more challenging, says Michael Moore, the general manager of Quail Run Vineyards.
Moore equates the wine and cannabis duality to a pair of houses being built: The former requires permits, inspections, and taxes, while the latter is done in cash and subject to none of the scrutiny and oversight.
“The overall goal of everyone taking issue with hemp is strictly that it be regulated, and that payroll records be audited so the cash economy driving hemp and cannabis is brought into compliance as it is with the rest of agriculture,” says Moore.
The most extreme version of this battle has been unfolding in Santa Barbara County, where hasty approval protocol has led to scores of giant cannabis operations operating in the heart of wine country, right across the street from grapevines.
Napa Valley likes to use the word “viewshed” to describe its natural surroundings, fought for long ago when mansions started to dot the hillsides instead of oak-studded slopes or tidy vineyard rows.
Stults says an overwhelming number of NVV members have expressed concerns about potential cannabis grows within county lines, especially if it means large greenhouses and unattractive production facilities.
“We are solidly opposed to commercial cultivation in the county,” he adds.
However, the ultimate profit margin is drastically different given the colossal disparity in yields.
Others believe that with proper regulation, cannabis can not only coexist with wine, but benefit these wine regions.
Though the initiative made it onto the March 2020 ballot after Honig gathered 8,500 signatures in just one week, the organization pulled the initiative ahead of the vote because they believed the county would pass an ordinance instead; so far, that has not happened.
A tax would be levied on the crop and setbacks would be put into place, including a 1,000-foot buffer between cannabis grows and any winery, vineyard, or other cultivation area.
Though the question of whether or not cannabis odors after the chemistry and quality of wines grown nearby is still a fairly open jury, some wineries worry that unwanted terpenes will show up in their bottled products.
We are talking about tinctures and oils.” She believes opponents’ concerns stem from insulation and the age-old fear of change.
Bringing cannabis cultivation to traditional wine regions like Napa Valley could also broaden the region’s audience, particularly among younger generations and non-wine drinkers.
Projects like House of Saka—which blends Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with northern California-grown cannabis to create nonalcoholic beverages—have already attempted to demonstrate how wine and weed can coexist at a luxury level.
Honig also argues that no agricultural area benefits from being a monoculture, and diverse crops can help deter plant pathogens and diseases and create a richer habitat.
Could premium wine regions like Napa excel in cannabis as they have in wine?.
He spent a decade making, selling, and cleaning up wine in the Willamette Valley in between penning stories for a host of regional and national outlets.