Cannabis News

Report reveals California cannabis cultivation and regulatory process puts Tribal cultural resources at risk

Published

3 months ago

November 3, 2025

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A comprehensive new report by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Northeastern University reveals that California’s cannabis cultivation threatens Tribal cultural resources. As in other fields of development, however, protecting these resources faces systemic challenges.

Based on the findings of a two-year survey of tribal and agency representatives across the state, the survey found that the state’s current consultation policies, while stronger than in many other states, are inadequate and inconsistently applied, leading to significant risks of irreparable damage to tribal cultural heritage.

“Our research shows a significant disconnect between state policy and the experiences of California’s indigenous tribes. The current cannabis permitting system, while well-intentioned, does not adequately protect ancestral lands and cultural resources,” said Jennifer Sowerwine, the project’s principal investigator and a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management. “It’s not just about historic preservation; it’s about respecting tribal sovereignty and perpetuating old damage by this new industry. These findings provide a clear roadmap for the state to move beyond performative consultation to a process that is truly meaningful and just.”

Jeremy Sorgen, principal investigator of the project and research faculty at Northeastern University’s Oakland campus, said, “One of the first things we’ve heard from Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and county officials involved in cultural resource protection efforts is that cannabis cultivation occurs on lands that are highly likely to be sensitive to Tribes.”

A good place to grow cannabis can be a Tribal cultural resource
“If it’s relatively flat, near a water source and facing south, it can be not only a good place to grow cannabis, but also a ceremony or a village site or some other place of cultural significance to the tribes,” said Sorgen, who is also a researcher at the UC Berkeley Cannabis Research Center. “What this means is that cannabis producers, historically and today, are actively selecting Tribal cultural resources.”

In 2014, California Assembly Bill 52 amended the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, to include statutory requirements for the protection of tribal cultural resources. This law was enacted shortly before Proposition 64 legalized the use of cannabis in 2016. The study “Examining Tribal Sovereignty over Cannabis Permitting on Native Ancestral Lands” investigated the intersection of these two laws and found that AB 52, while strengthening Tribal consultation at the local level, retains the same problems as previous state and federal cultural resources laws.

The study was designed, conducted and analyzed in collaboration with the seven-member Tribal Advisory Committee, and included comprehensive surveys of 46 Tribal representatives and 56 agency officials, along with 61 in-depth interviews conducted across the state.

The report offers several recommendations for the Department of Cannabis Control and other state agencies to address these systemic problems. Key recommendations include: Working directly with tribal governments to develop fairer consultation processes and accurate maps of ancestral lands. Other recommendations include starting consultations as soon as a permit application is received, providing specific funding and training to Tribes and agency staff involved in consultations, and promoting stronger data sharing agreements between state, local, and Tribal governments.

The new tools support Tribal sovereignty in the consultation
Based on the research findings, the research team and Tribal consultants have developed two sets of tools to support tribal controls in the consultation process.

“California has some of the strongest cultural resource protection laws in the US, but meaningful consultation is undermined by structural problems in the consultation process,” said Shasta Gaughen, environmental director and historic preservation officer for the Pala Band of Mission Indians and a member of the Tribal Advisory Board. “We brought together Tribal historic preservation officials from across the state to develop a toolkit that reflects Tribal consultation experiences, is concise and easy to use, and empowers Tribes, not agencies, to set consultation requirements.”

The By Tribes, For Tribes Consultation Policy Toolkit provides a customizable Consultation Policy template and additional materials for Tribes looking to create their own consultation policies or ordinances. The “by Tribes, for Tribes” approach allows Tribes to proactively guide government agencies in consultative processes based on Tribal preferences, rather than reacting to agency interpretations as required by law.

The UC Berkeley Cannabis Site Mapping Tool provides Tribes with a means to assess the extent of cannabis cultivation on their ancestral or aboriginal land. It can be used to determine possible threats to tribal cultural resources and sensitive sites.

Source: Mavens Notebook

Related Topics:California Cannabis Cultivation cultural process puts Regulatory Report resources reveals Risk Tribal

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Cannabis News

New partnership to expand greenhouse drone distribution across Europe

Published

13 hours ago

February 6, 2026

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GeoCue welcomes MOST Robotics to its global distribution network. Based in Germany and serving customers throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland, MOST Robotics will offer TrueView GO LiDAR solutions and LP360 software, from GeoCue, to surveying, construction, forestry, agricultural and industrial inspection professionals looking for a complete and reliable workflow from data capture to delivery.

Founded in 2021 by Valentin Möller and Lennart Stollberg, MOST Robotics builds on deep UAV experience since 2015, offering integrated turnkey drone and sensor solutions, supported by technical consulting and first-class customer support. Their team works closely with end users to ensure technology works in real-world conditions, from flight planning to endpoint cloud processing, a full-service company for individual solutions.

MOST Robotics is expanding its portfolio of handheld SLAM LiDAR and LP360 software to directly respond to customer needs, especially for projects where flight restrictions, dense vegetation or indoor environments make aerial collection difficult. With TrueView GO and LP360, customers can complement drone surveys with ground-based SLAM capture, process aerial LiDAR and produce high-quality photogrammetric output. This approach supports rapid and accurate classification of large data sets and the creation of highly accurate digital terrain models, helping to reduce office processing time while improving the final quality of delivery.

Valentin Möller, CEO of MOST Robotics, commented: “GeoCue makes UAV LiDAR and SLAM bridges in a way that matches how our customers work in the real world. We spend a lot of time in the field with customers, which gives us practical feedback and clear ideas on what needs to be improved. GeoCue is open to this kind of input, and we’re excited to help shape each of our customers’ missions.”

Samuel Flick, GeoCue’s European Sales Manager, added: “We are delighted to welcome MOST Robotics to the GeoCue distribution network. Their technical depth and customer-first approach make them a strong partner as we continue to grow the LiDAR market in Europe. We look forward to supporting their team as they expand access to the TrueView product line, including aerial, handheld and LiDAR 360 mobile device software.”

For more information:
MOST robotics
https://mostrobotics.com/

GeoCue
https://geocue.com/

Cannabis News

USDA-APHIS grants non-regulated status to two gene-edited hemp varieties

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2026

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USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently issued regulatory status review responses for two new gene-edited hemp varieties, determining that they are not subject to federal regulation under 7 CFR part 340. Developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, these gene-edited plants have been found to have no increased risk of plant pests compared to conventional hemp. This federal clearance marks an important milestone in easing the path from laboratory to commercial cultivation of precision-bred industrial crops.

Badger PMR (Dust Resistant) has full dust resistance, and Badger Zero (Cannabinoid Free) is cannabinoid free. The main innovation involves the creation of hemp varieties that are unable to produce THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive compound found in cannabis. Using CRISPR gene-editing technology to turn off specific genes responsible for THC production, the UW-Madison team has solved a major hurdle for the industry. This genetic certainty prevents crops from being “hot” — the term used when THC levels accidentally exceed the legal limit of 0.3 percent — which previously forced farmers to destroy entire fields to comply with federal law.

Beyond THC removal, researchers have also engineered varieties with higher concentrations of CBG (cannabigerol), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid valued for its potential therapeutic benefits. These advances are expected to stabilize the hemp market, providing growers with reliable, high-value and legal-compliant varieties. With the regulatory green light from the USDA, these precision-bred hemp lines are poised to revitalize the industry, providing a safer and more profitable future for farmers across the United States.

For more information:
International Service for the Acquisition of Agricultural Biotechnology Applications
Email: (email protected)
isaaa.org/default.asp

Cannabis News

Kentucky Governor Announces Medical Marijuana Gummies Are Now Available, While Pushing Lawmakers To Approve New Qualifying Conditions

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2026

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Kentucky’s governor is urging lawmakers to give more patients legal access to medical marijuana, announcing that cannabis gummies can now be purchased at state-licensed dispensaries.

Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said Thursday that his administration has sent a letter urging legislative leadership to pass a bill that lists ALS, Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease, sickle cell anemia, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, terminal illnesses and other conditions as conditions for medical cannabis.

“In most other states that have a medical marijuana program, these are conditions that are covered, and conditions that are deemed appropriate by our board of physicians and counselors,” he said. “Expanding the list could help the approximately 430,000 Kentuckians who currently lack access but face these challenges.”

The governor said state officials are “making great strides” in expanding the medical marijuana program to “increase access for those who are already eligible.”

“We currently have 510 registered professionals and over 18,500 approved cards, and those numbers continue to grow,” Beshear said, adding that regulators are making “steady progress” in accepting businesses at every step of the cannabis supply chain.

“As the supply chain expands, patients are starting to see more options online,” he said. “We can announce that gummies are on the market in Kentucky and showing progress in communities across Kentucky.”

The governor’s latest update comes about a month after he took the podium and said “not happy” with the time it’s taken to roll out the state’s medical marijuana program—but predicts that the pace of patient access will “significantly increase” in 2026.

Also last month, Beshear said two more dispensaries will open their doors “once additional product becomes available.” The The state’s first medical cannabis plant was launched in December.

The governor, who has long championed cannabis reform, he anticipated a market launch that monthwhile claiming that medical marijuana will help thousands of patients find an alternative to opioids for pain management.

He at the end of October it passed the milestone of registering 15,000 patientsbut that has grown significantly in recent weeks.

Beshear previously acknowledged that “it’s taken longer than we would have liked” to sustain the industry since he signed off on legalizing medical marijuana in 2023.

Considering this delayed implementation, he signed an executive order this year to waive renewal fees for patients who get the cards so that they are not charged again before the stores open. And another order he signed to provide protections for qualified patients who obtain medical marijuana outside of Kentucky “will remain in place.”

Beshear announced separately that in May the state launched a new online directory that allows people to see where medicinal cannabis will open next to them

He noted that the state is working to provide access to patients “as soon as possible,” which includes speeding up the licensing process. Last January, so did the governor ceremoniously issued the first medical marijuana cards in the commonwealth.

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Meanwhile, the governors sent a letter to Kentucky’s congressional delegation last yearurging them to “take decisive action to protect the constitutional rights of our law-abiding medical cannabis patients” by repealing the federal ban on possession of firearms by marijuana users.

Bipartisan Kentucky senators introduced similar legislation asked the federal representatives of the state to take corrective measuresBeshear said he agrees but would I would like to see even more significant changes at the federal level.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) warned Kentucky residents that in 2024, if they choose to participate in the state’s medical marijuana program, they will be prohibited from buying or possessing firearms under federal law.

Health professionals have been able to Patients began to evaluate the recommendations from the beginning of last December.

While there are currently no operational dispensaries for patients, Beshear also confirmed that an executive order he signed in 2023 will be in place in the interim, protecting patients. Those with medical cannabis purchased from licensed out-of-state retailers.

In the November 2024 election, Kentucky also saw more than 100 cities and counties pass local ordinances to allow medical cannabis businesses in their jurisdictions. The governor said the election results show that “the jury is no longer out” on the issue this is clearly supported by voters across party and geographic lines.

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